


Snowfall

by OfTheAshTree62, Reijin_Hakumei



Category: Bleach
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Fullbringer Arc
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-20
Updated: 2021-01-27
Packaged: 2021-03-12 00:20:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 91,169
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28876341
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OfTheAshTree62/pseuds/OfTheAshTree62, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Reijin_Hakumei/pseuds/Reijin_Hakumei
Summary: Excerpt:Since he'd returned to their inner world after the fight with Kugo, there had been a light snowfall.It had never snowed before - rain, yes, incessantly. But never snow. Odder still - the snow didn't even feel cold like Tensa knew snow should. But he knew for certain that was what it was.And just like the rain before, the snowfall continued - gently - but unending. Already it had begun to collect upon the glass of the sideways skyscrapers. It was undeniably beautiful…But Tensa was apprehensive as to exactly what it meant.Rain had been despair and desperation-filled sorrow.So then…What did snow mean?
Relationships: Hitsugaya Toushirou/Kurosaki Ichigo
Comments: 61
Kudos: 80
Collections: IchiHitsu Ship Week and Archive





	1. Annular Solar Eclipse ~ Familiarity

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Geishaaa](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Geishaaa/gifts), [Hekwos](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hekwos/gifts).



> There are several relationships within this story, some platonic, some romantic. We are purposefully not tagging these relationships until the fic is complete to avoid spoiling the story. IchiHitsu is a given, as this is written for IchiHitsu week, but it will take some time to develop, and not every chapter is focused on them.
> 
> We hope you enjoy Snowfall!
> 
> Love, Nova and Ashley.

**__ **

**_Chapter 1: Annular Solar Eclipse ~ Familiarity_ **

It had been eighteen months. Eighteen months since Tensa had access to any real power. Eighteen months since the hollow had fused with him to train Ichigo in the use of their ultimate attack - something that he realized soon after was as irreversible as Ichigo using the technique itself. After Ichigo had utilized Saigo no Getsuga Tenshō, his Reiryoku had been completely and utterly depleted, the channels through which it had flowed throughout his body torn and frayed in a way that made it impossible for him to replenish. Seventeen months had passed before those channels were healed enough to slowly collect Reiryoku back into his body, enough to access his Fullbring. 

It would have taken several years to heal completely - until Rukia Kuchiki, the original Shinigami that had awakened Ichigo's access to his own powers, ran him through again with a sword infused with the Reiatsu of several Captains and Lieutenants, flooding the nearly dry well of Reiryoku within him. Tensa had grinned, coming to Ichigo's call of Tensa Zangetsu immediately, overjoyed and filled with bloodlust as they laid low the former substitute Shinigami, Kugo Ginjo. 

He returned to their inner world, humming with power and  _ relief  _ at being able to once again protect his King. He could hear and see what his King did and contented himself to wait for the vulnerability of sleep to pull him to him. He  _ missed  _ him, desperately. 

And there was an added concern… 

Since he'd returned to their inner world after the fight with Kugo, there had been a light snowfall. 

It had never  _ snowed  _ before - rain, yes, incessantly. But never snow. Odder still - the snow didn't even  _ feel  _ cold like Tensa knew snow should. But he knew for certain that was what it was. 

And just like the rain before, the snowfall continued - gently - but unending. Already it had begun to collect upon the glass of the sideways skyscrapers. It was undeniably beautiful… 

But Tensa was apprehensive as to exactly what it meant. 

Rain had been despair and desperation-filled sorrow. 

So then… 

What did snow mean? 

* * *

Ichigo didn’t think he was ever going to get to sleep. It had actually been quite difficult to rest since he had regained his powers. The constant flow of Reiryoku that ran under his skin had become so unfamiliar that it was actually distracting. But  _ finally,  _ at nearly two in the morning, he drifted off without even realizing he was nodding off. 

It seemed that he was dreaming, but something about this odd place was familiar. Other parts of it were… decidedly not. The uneven  _ shape  _ of the snow banks implied that he was in his inner world, pulled there by Zangetsu, but… snow banks? Since when did it snow in his inner world? And where was Zangetsu? 

As Ichigo further investigated, he realized as he walked that he wasn’t cold at all, despite the fact that he could see his breath form a fog in front of his parted lips. He wasn’t even dressed well, donning the t-shirt and loose pants he wore to bed, but he was still warm as he trudged barefoot through the ankle-deep snow. He didn’t even feel the snow wetting his feet or the bottom of his pants. This was definitely the oddest thing he had ever seen. And he  _ still  _ hadn’t found Zangetsu. 

Finally, he saw a familiar horn poking up from behind a pile of snow that had gathered against the side of one of the buildings - at least that was what Ichigo assumed, since he couldn’t see the trademark skyscrapers at all under the solid white blanket. He made his way over, peeking over at Zangetsu when he was near enough. The man - or, half-hollow - was actually  _ relaxing,  _ lying in the indent his body had made in the snow with his hands locked behind his head and mismatched eyes softly closed. 

Still, Ichigo had very little sympathy for his state, as overwhelmed and confused as he was, and he rather loudly blurted out, “Hey, what’s going on here? You’re just going to sleep while this is happening?”

One eye - the left one, iris golden and sclera black - opened as Tensa gave Ichigo a rather unamused look. "No,  _ King,  _ of course not. I was attempting to pull you here but you're so terrible at jinzen, I had to wait until you fell asleep. You  _ weren't  _ sleeping though so I figured I'd might as well get comfortable while I waited. It's odd - this snow doesn't feel cold. Makes for a really cozy bed, actually."

Ichigo’s eyes narrowed as he stepped to stand in front of his zanpakuto’s spirit, but his severity was completely broken when he stepped right off the side of the building he had evidently been standing on, sinking thigh-deep and nearly falling head-first into the snow. After a yelp of surprise, he attempted to gather himself and trudge back to the shallower snow at Tensa’s feet, crossing his arms over his chest and this time successfully glaring at him. “You know it’s hard for me to sleep lately. And yes, I think  _ odd  _ doesn’t quite cut it for the fact that this place is covered in damn  _ snow.  _ You didn’t answer me - what’s going on?” he demanded again. 

Tensa sat up, mismatched eyes - the right a stunning deep blue against white sclera - regarding Ichigo's clearly disconcerted state. "I thought it was you, King. I know of no other cause. You - your feelings - were always the cause for the rain before. I called you here partially because I honestly don't know what's going on. I'm… concerned about you, King…"

Ichigo’s brow furrowed in confusion. He glanced around at the snow again, the mostly untouched expanse only growing as snow continued to lightly fall. “It’s not me. The only thing wrong with me is I can’t sleep with all this power distracting me. Is there… something wrong with  _ you?  _ With our power?” he asked. Really it was the only other explanation, but as he looked over Tensa Zangetsu, nothing  _ seemed  _ strange, and his power had functioned just fine when he had used it before. Zangetsu didn’t  _ look _ any different than he had last time, either, though Ichigo was a bit confused about the fact that he had maintained the fused form of half-hollow, half-zanpakuto. Surely that hadn’t caused  _ this,  _ though, so he waited for a response to his question. 

“Our power is significantly greater than before,” Tensa answered, “However I don’t believe there’s anything actually  _ wrong _ with it… This snowfall - it truly is odd. Not only is it not cold, it doesn’t melt when I touch it, see?” Tensa stood fully, gesturing down at the imprint of his form upon the snowbank where he’d been resting. “I don’t feel at all cold and this snow doesn’t melt at all upon my skin, just dusts off like sand - like we’re the same temperature. And the rain, I could  _ feel _ your pain in every drop. I don’t feel a single emotion from this snow - only power. It feels… comforting… protective even - but that’s the closest thing to an emotion I can decipher.” 

Tensa reached out, slow so Ichigo didn’t startle, to place his hand upon his cheek, a look of contemplation crossing his face.  _ “We _ feel the same temperature too… So it’s not that I’ve become more cold… I can’t explain this King - the temperature, the snow, the odd properties I’ve noted. It doesn’t feel  _ wrong _ though…”

Ichigo hummed thoughtfully, finally sitting cross-legged in front of the other. “Well… if it’s not  _ wrong,  _ then maybe we’ll just figure it out at some point. As long as it’s not hurting either of us, I think we can afford to wait,” he said resignedly. Still, his eyes wouldn’t stop wandering over the spirit before him. The white hair, partial hollow mask, and inverted-colored clothing… it wasn’t his usual form.  _ And  _ he was obviously looking at  _ Tensa  _ Zangetsu, even though he hadn’t been in bankai when he had been pulled in. “Why are you still in that form?” he finally asked, amber eyes finally wandering back up to Tensa’s face, focusing on his mismatched eyes. 

Tensa sat, mirroring his position, answering, “We didn’t realize it at the time, but the combining of our spirits to train you was permanent. We really are Tensa Zangetsu now,  _ together, _ both of us. When you accepted the hollow within you and we joined together in this form, we fused in a way that I do not believe is reversible. I’ve had a long time by myself here to try. It actually would have been nice to have another spirit to talk to - even if it was that ridiculous hollow,” Tensa said with an amused smirk. 

“He’s within me now, not separate in any way. Our form, power, personality completely merged. The bloodlust I received from him that I felt in our battle with Kugo was unexpected to say the least - I feel more emotions in general now, when before they were muted at best. I actually think this form, this joining, made us both  _ whole _ \- like we were half of a person before, completely unbalanced and - in the hollow’s case - more than a little unstable. I’ve long accepted this, King. I’m… happy this way. As I said, I feel more whole.”

Ichigo gave a half-smile and nodded. “Good. I guess we’re both happy now then. Still doesn’t explain this,” he said, pulling his hand through the snow. It was still amazing that it wasn’t melting as he touched it. It just ran over his skin like sand, just as Tensa had said. He closed both hands over it, testing its texture. He had predicted that it would just fall apart, but it actually held together well, crunching between his hands as it compacted into a ball. “Guess we could have some fun with it though,” he said quietly, patting the snow in his hands one more time before throwing it at Tensa. He laughed as it impacted and broke on the spirit’s chest, but he was completely prepared for any retaliation, his hands already hovering a bit in front of his own chest to catch or deflect any attempt. 

Tensa’s mismatched eyes flashed, scooping up a handful of snow, quickly forming it into a ball, and responding back in kind. A shadow of the scream that had always accompanied the hollow’s voice was apparent in the tone of his laughter as he managed to hit Ichigo square in the face, the sound both awful and yet… 

…completely happy. 

He was already using shunpo to distance himself, his laughter still ringing as he skidded to a stop, the snow moving easily upon the glass below, gathering more snow into pale hands that barely contained more color than the white crystals of ice that they collected.

Ichigo was actually quite shocked, though he figured he shouldn’t have been. The hollow was still in there somewhere, even if he  _ looked  _ more like Tensa. He was already several buildings away, poised to strike again. “You know, there are rules to a snowball fight. It’s not nice to hit people in the face,” he called across the distance between them. Ichigo bent to gather more snow, giving a confident smirk as he quickly approached, well aware that Tensa would be prepared to dodge. So, before anything else, Ichigo caught the zanpakuto’s wrist, almost immediately shoving the snowball in his face and following through the action and shoving him down into the snow that buried their feet, knowing he wouldn’t hurt him by being a bit rough. 

Tensa laughed harder, more of the scream coloring the tone of his voice as he seized Ichigo’s arm, shifting him to the side and face-down into the snowbank. He didn’t even get up, laying beside him on his back, too incapacited by laughter. He could never remember feeling so  _ happy, _ so completely carefree. Their power was returned, he had his King back, and this odd snow had a way of bringing him a feeling of peace, safety, and security - feelings he hadn’t felt since… 

Since Ichigo’s mother had died. 

His laughter quieted, breathing calming, a real smile spreading across his face as he gazed up with warmth at the slowly falling snow. Whatever was the cause, he knew something that brought this much comfort couldn’t possibly be bad for either himself or his King.

Ichigo was grumbling incoherently as he pushed himself up from the snow, but all competition was put aside when he looked over at Tensa, the first  _ real  _ smile he had ever seen softening his entire face. And he had been  _ laughing.  _ And not the usual mocking laughter, but  _ genuine _ amusement. 

_ Happiness.  _

Ichigo rolled over onto his back, locking his hands behind his head and looking up at the clouds that were really just a solid layer of gray over the usually blue sky. He sighed lightly, though, eyes turning to the spirit next to him. “You know… as much as I pretend to hate this sometimes… I actually missed you when you were gone. I get that the Soul Reapers wanted me to move on, live a normal life, but I  _ can’t  _ be normal. I felt  _ empty  _ without my powers,” Ichigo mused, his voice taming from the playful moment. 

“They don’t understand, King,” Tensa responded, “They think you gained this power when Rukia transferred hers into you. That allowed you to learn to  _ tap into it _ but I’ve  _ always  _ been here with you. We were never meant to be apart. It was torture for me, watching you struggle without being able to hear or see me. Just like before… I had tried desperately to reach out to you when your mother died and it was so frustrating when I  _ couldn’t. _ It was just like that, all over again. Familiar but…  _ awful…” _

Tensa turned in the snow, his hand reaching out to clutch at the fabric of Ichigo’s shirt as he said seriously, “Never again. Never make that trade again. I… I hate that existence. Seeing what you see, hearing what you hear, feeling your longing and despair at being separate from your power and being completely unable to reach out to you. My entire purpose is to protect you and being unable, cut off from doing so, is pure agony. Please, King. Don’t discard me again -  _ promise _ you won’t ever make that trade. It’s too painful…”

Ichigo’s eyes widened at the obvious desperation and concern in Tensa’s touch as he held his shirt. He had no idea this seemingly uncontrolled, hostile being actually  _ cared  _ about him - cared about the bond they had. Ichigo turned to face him, only keeping his distance to avoid the horn that protruded from the fragmented hollow mask. Still, he took Tensa’s hand from his shirt, holding it between both of his and looking into mismatched eyes. 

He had no idea the actual pain he had caused the spirit, but he supposed he had never really been aware - or chose not to recognize - that they had always been connected. And separation from someone you were  _ connected  _ to at a soul-deep level was  _ agonizing.  _ “I won’t. I promise.”

Tensa nodded, that small, genuine smile spreading across his face in peace and relief. “Thank you, King. I can feel that you mean that, that you’re being completely truthful. I really can’t go through that again…” It was likely a very good thing he’d been fused with the hollow or he  _ knew _ the other would have gone insane from the forced separation. Well…  _ more _ insane than he already was. He just  _ couldn’t _ go through that again - even he had started losing his grip on reality towards the end, constantly talking to himself just to talk to  _ someone. _

He had talked to Ichigo often as well, even knowing he couldn’t hear him, he had never stopped trying. Being constantly ignored, however, strained the mind, even if he knew his King was only doing so because he literally  _ couldn’t  _ hear him. And that was nothing to the feeling of helplessness, of being unable to assist his King when he so clearly needed him. 

Ichigo saw the pure despair in Tensa’s expression, eyes distant and mouth falling into a bit of a grimace from the small smile he had shown for a moment, as though he was still  _ feeling  _ that separation just by being reminded of it. Ichigo had never really cared about his zanpakuto’s emotional state, but now - with this show of completely unfamiliar vulnerability - he felt immensely guilty for ever willingly cutting him off before, and this last time wasn’t the first. He smiled and squeezed Tensa’s hand between his. “I’m here now. Next time I feel like there’s no other option but to give up my power to win, I’ll find another way,” he assured him. 

The sincerity was clear in his words and Tensa couldn’t resist leaning into him, turning his head, mindful of the sharp horn of his mask fragment as he rested his head against Ichigo’s firm chest, closing mismatched eyes in relief. “Thank you, King. I missed you.” He’d never been this warm to Ichigo before but in this combined form his emotions ran strong and true, unable to hide them and frankly no longer willing to. Ichigo accepted him completely, promised not to cast him away again, and Tensa  _ loved _ his King. From the moment he’d become aware - Ichigo only a small child - his King had become the center of his existence. 

And if he were to spend the rest of his existence with only one other soul, at least it was with his King. He  _ would _ protect him. 

And he’d never let anything separate them again.

Ichigo chuckled lightly at Tensa’s show of emotion, but he found that it didn’t bother him as much as it once did. Really, though, it was the difference between the hollow and Tensa. Tensa’s genuine - but still muted - care had been amplified by the overwhelming volatility of the hollow, and somehow the two had balanced to an actual tolerable personality. 

Ichigo was still holding Tensa’s hand, still resting on his chest just below where Tensa had leaned into him. He shifted a bit to pull one hand away, the other still firmly clasped around the other’s, and loosely strung his arm over Tensa’s waist, not really holding him but keeping contact. “I missed you, too,” he said quietly. He never thought he would be saying such a thing to the creature he had so often thought of as an inconvenience or a challenge, or even sometimes an  _ enemy,  _ but their connection was undeniable. They clearly couldn’t live without one another… 

And Ichigo never planned to make them separate again. 


	2. New Moon ~ New Beginnings

**__ **

**_Chapter 2: New Moon ~ New Beginnings_ **

The closet was stuffy, and he was surrounded by boxes of parchment and inkwells, hunched between two stacks taller than he was, but it was the only place Yukio felt safe. The light of his PSP screen was the only thing that even hinted at his presence, other than his rather strong Reiatsu, but he had never been caught that way. At least not by  _ her.  _ It was actually a rather obvious hiding place, but every time he ducked into this particular closet, he heard her still squealing his name in her singsong voice, going right past the door in her pursuit. 

So, that was where Yukio spent as much time as he could, until… 

The door slid open with a loud clack, and an involuntary yelp of surprise left Yukio’s mouth. His heart raced with the shock, and he huffed frustratedly as he looked up from where he was seated to find the white-haired Captain that had been the second-biggest pain in his side since he had arrived in the Soul Society. Yukio didn’t even say anything, only glaring because he knew what was coming. 

“Vorarlberna, I am  _ not _ your sitter. I have far too much work to do without being forced to chase you down every time you wander off. Also… What  _ are _ you doing in here?” Toshiro’s exhaustion was clear in his tone. Ever since returning from Living World, the young Fullbringer in tow, Toshiro had been overworked and suffering from the drain on his own Reiryoku. He wasn’t used to not having such an immense well of power always at his fingertips. He’d grown used to it and he was having difficulty performing at his usual standards after the drain of assisting with the return of Kurosaki’s powers. 

Add to that, he’d been assigned to monitor Yukio Hans Vorarlberna, to keep him close enough to sense his Reiatsu at all times until he was either completely integrated into Soul Society or determined to be stable enough to return to the Living World. Compared to some of his comrades that the other divisions were monitoring, Vorarlberna wasn’t difficult to deal with. Toshiro realized this could have been far worse. But he  _ knew _ how far he could wander before Toshiro would be forced to find him and still the young man continued to pull him from his work at odd times throughout the day.

And this wasn’t the first time he’d found him in this particular closet. He hadn’t asked why before, not  _ really _ caring, but this was becoming ridiculous and his patience was wearing thin.

Yukio sighed exasperatedly, not changing his posture at all and really just wishing that he could be left alone. But between the Captain and Lieutenant of the Tenth Division, he had absolutely no rest for the entire workday, which he was required to attend,  _ just  _ to stay close enough for observation. “Do you  _ know  _ what your Lieutenant does every time she sees me? I think if you paid attention, you’d know exactly why I was in this closet. It’s certainly not because it’s comfortable,” he replied snidely, still not budging and hoping he could get away with staying in his small haven. 

Toshiro smirked, asking, “Are you saying you can’t handle her enthusiasm? You’d hurt her feelings. Trust me, she’s only so excitable with you  _ because _ you do this in response. If you just let her hug you and got it over with, she’d leave you alone for a while and the novelty would wear off. Or you can stay in the same room with me and I’ll rein her in a bit. Either way - you need to remain closer to my office, this is too far. Although, I can see why she avoids this closet - you're sitting between our paperwork backlog, which I need to complete and she avoids it like the plague.”

Yukio was still quite unwilling to leave, eyeing the Captain suspiciously. “You’re shorter than me, so I’m not sure if you’re aware, but when she hugs me, she doesn’t  _ just  _ hug - she suffocates. I honestly think she does it on purpose. So, I will  _ only _ agree to sit in your office if you can provide protection. I’m sitting  _ directly  _ behind your chair, so she has to  _ actually  _ go through you to get to me,” he said, giving his conditions for his cooperation. 

It had been weeks, and the  _ novelty  _ hadn’t worn off, but he supposed if he felt like he  _ could  _ stop fleeing from the overly enthusiastic woman, and her Captain was firmly between them, he could deal with that. And really, if he was honest, at least the other man was quiet and valued his own privacy, so he knew there wouldn’t be any unnecessary conversation to tolerate. 

Toshiro frowned, annoyance crossing his face as he said, “Fine. As long as you stop distracting me from my work. Now, follow me back. And bring one of those stacks with you.”

Yukio gawked, looking up at the stack of paperwork next to him. “I’m not your assistant! I’m not even going to be able to  _ see  _ past all this!” he complained, but the hard glare in those severe teal eyes and the way the small Captain’s arms were folded told him this wasn’t optional. “Fine,” Yukio groaned, standing and shoving his PSP into his coat pocket before hoisting the stack of paperwork into his arms, predictably not being able to see well past it. “I don’t know how I’m getting back to the office like this, but lead the way,” he grumbled, leaning around the obstacle to meet Toshiro’s eyes with a glare of his own. 

Toshiro smirked, easily lifting another stack, expertly balancing it as if he’d done this a thousand times - which was probably accurate - and made his way back to his office. He wasn’t worried about the other following - once the Fullbringer agreed to do something he always seemed to follow through. Toshiro flexed his Reiatsu as he walked so everyone knew to get out of his way, not relying on sight at all to navigate, his feet knowing the way.

Yukio didn’t have  _ much  _ issue keeping the stack in his hands steady, but he rolled his eyes when he felt the arrogant man in front of him flaunting his power as though anyone was actually afraid of him. After all, while he  _ did  _ have a ridiculous amount of Reiatsu, so did all the other Captains, and Toshiro was over a foot shorter than most of them.  _ Yukio  _ certainly wasn’t afraid of him. Toshiro was… cute, distant but kind, and actually did care deeply for his Division. Yukio shook his head as his thoughts took that turn - since when did his habitual observance of those around him dominate his mind like that?

When they turned the corner to the office and entered, Yukio rather defiantly slammed the stack in his hands down on the desk and stepped around it to slump to the floor behind Toshiro’s chair, pulling his PSP back out and not even looking up as he did so. 

Toshiro placed his own down with less violence as he observed him. His lips twitched up slightly in the shadow of a smile. Sometimes he acted so  _ young. _ And he was, really, at only sixteen, even if he  _ was _ taller. Nearly  _ everyone  _ was taller than Toshiro and likely would be for quite a while. It would take another forty years at least until his body was fully grown. Though he’d  _ finally _ grown to be an inch taller than Rukia Kuchiki. So, progress.

Out of all the Fullbringers, Vorarlberna seemed to have the best head on his shoulders. He was aware of his company and business interests back in Living World, having made sure he was able to communicate back with the necessary people in order to continue his work while here. He’d been completely uncooperative until then, becoming quiet and rather docile afterwards, even if he voiced complaints. His powers were concerning to say the least in their potential for misuse but he really didn’t seem to be concerned with using them for much of anything, using his PSP to actually play games more than mess around with his Fullbring. 

Toshiro took his chair at his desk, taking a mirror out of one of the drawers that he knew his Lieutenant had stashed in there, propping it up to show the image of the Fullbringer behind him. He wasn’t all that concerned but he couldn’t fully relax with anyone he didn’t completely trust at his back like that. Satisfied that he could see the other anytime he glanced into the mirror, he pulled the top paper from one of the stacks, beginning to diligently make his way through it.

Yukio glanced up much too often from his game as he sat there, really just counting the hours until he could leave. Well, until  _ they  _ could leave. He even had to spend the time outside of the workday at the Captain’s private quarters - the only place that he was close enough for the other to sense his Reiatsu strongly enough for comfort. Even now, the Captain had a  _ mirror _ propped up on his desk like he really distrusted him  _ that  _ much. It was quite irritating, since Yukio knew he wasn’t a threat to these people, or anyone else for that matter. It would be ridiculously childish to use his powers for  _ any  _ reason here. He only used his powers when threatened, and all that was being threatened here was his privacy and sanity. 

All this unnecessary time so close to the Tenth Division Captain, though, was showing Yukio more than he cared to see. It was never his intention to actually come to  _ like  _ the man. He was a hard worker, and admittedly striking in appearance, but anyone with eyes could see that. That didn’t mean he actually  _ cared,  _ just that he couldn’t shut off the need to observe everything he could about his surroundings, and obviously he had been  _ surrounded  _ by Toshiro Hitsugaya. It was a rather ridiculous thought that one could be surrounded by a single person, but it was very much true - everywhere Yukio turned, the man was in his face. 

Toshiro barely glanced at the Fullbringer behind him in the mirror, focused entirely on getting through the mountain of paperwork. Matsumoto had ducked her head in but quickly left, seeing the sizable amount of paper on her Captain’s desk. It was dark by the time he’d finished both stacks but he  _ did  _ finish them, sighing and finally laying down his brush. He let his pounding head fall into his hands, knowing he should have stopped a few hours earlier and eaten something, especially with his Reiryoku still partially drained, but once he began a task he had a difficult time leaving it until complete. 

Yukio looked up when he heard the uncharacteristic sigh from Toshiro. He only saw the side of his face from the angle the mirror was at, but he looked exhausted. Something akin to concern tried to bubble up in his heart, but he pressed that down quickly. If Toshiro wanted to overwork himself, Yukio knew there wasn’t anything he could do about it. The man was extremely dedicated to his work. But just the  _ way  _ his face was buried in his hands actually made Yukio’s brow furrowed curiously. Toshiro had never been  _ this  _ exhausted after work before. He didn’t say anything, though, only standing from the floor and waiting next to the desk, his PSP again slid into his coat pocket. 

Toshiro heard the other shift to stand beside his desk and took a deep breath, collecting himself before standing. He summoned a hell butterfly, instructing one of his lower seats to deliver the forms on his desk where they were required to go when they returned in the morning. He really needed a third seat. He’d never replaced  _ himself, _ not finding anyone to be a good candidate in the twenty years he’d been captain. He refused to promote anyone that wasn’t capable of helping with the ridiculous amount of paperwork - as much as he cared for Matsumoto she didn’t exactly make his life easier.

He headed home, using Shunpo, knowing Vorarlberna was more than capable of keeping up. He stopped only to grab take-out on the way, allowing the blonde to choose what he wanted and paying for the two of them. Toshiro was actually an excellent cook, but the other had no way of knowing that. Cooking took more time and energy than Toshiro had at the end of his days since returning to Soul Society. 

His home was fairly small, located on the outskirts of the Tenth Division. He once had difficulty controlling his Reiatsu in his sleep and Shiba-taicho had taken him in to live out here with him. Toshiro had lived here ever since, keeping his room even when Shiba-taicho disappeared, always knowing somehow that he’d see him again. He’d been right, but he never thought it would be because of his  _ son. _

Ichigo Kurosaki had managed to thaw out his iced over heart during the time they’d spent in Karakura town before Orihime Inoue had been seized by the Espada Ulquiorra. He would have expected no different from the son of Shiba-taicho. That man frustrated and annoyed him to no end, but he’d been unfailingly kind, caring, and had a very strong sense of  _ doing the right thing. _ No matter what, no matter how many laws and traditions that trampled. Those traits shown brightly in his son, as troubled about his own power and saddened by losing his mother as he still was. Toshiro could tell. He’d watched him avidly - it was impossible not to.  _ Especially _ after learning he was the son of his former Captain. 

And then he’d also disregarded logic and orders, taking on incredible risk to rescue Orihime Inoue. As he had before, to rescue Rukia Kuchiki. Not because of some childhood crush or desire for either girl, but just because it was the  _ right thing to do.  _

As if it were that simple.

So when Rukia Kuchiki had come requesting he pour some of his Reiatsu into the blade she intended to use to return his power to him, Toshiro hadn’t hesitated. He’d flooded the sword, completing the rest of the power it would need. His well of Reiryoku was larger than any other Captain anyway. Rukia had seemed surprised but she didn’t need to understand. And she wisely hadn’t asked, only thanked him and easily accepted his demand to go with her to ensure it was delivered and employed successfully.

Several weeks later, he was still feeling that drain. But his well was slowly filling again. Just a few more weeks and he should be as he was. What was important was Ichigo Kurosaki was  _ whole _ again. It was obvious that his power was no mere tool - it was  _ a part _ of him. Toshiro would feel just as fractured if he’d lost Hyourinmaru. His hand went to the hilt at the thought before he took a deep breath, untying the sash and placing the zanpakuto reverently in his stand. He then sat at the dining table, pulling out his portion of the food, quietly eating as he struggled to remain awake long enough to actually finish the meal, completely unconcerned about the Fullbringer with him. Even exhausted and seemingly unarmed, he was certain of his ability to subdue him if he actually tried anything, which he was certain the other was smart enough not to do.

Yukio ate slowly, his eyes nearly constantly toward Toshiro. He seemed thoughtful, which wasn’t uncharacteristic, but he was also obviously tired. It had been weeks, and Yukio was barely seeing an increase in the Captain’s powers. It wasn’t really his concern, but it was clearly draining. Toshiro was just trudging through his life at this point, doing his work - for far too long most days - and then coming home and going straight to sleep. It was no way to live, really, but Yukio knew there wasn’t anything he could do to help. Not that the frigid man would even accept any help if it was offered to him. 

“I’m going to my room,” Yukio commented absently, throwing away the empty food containers and turning to exit the room. The lack of immediate response, though, caused him to look back. Toshiro’s eyelids were visibly heavy, and Yukio had to fight vehemently against actually appearing worried, because he had to admit it was quite disconcerting for such a strong Shinigami to be so incredibly  _ weak.  _

Toshiro had been nodding off, having to shake his head to keep his eyes open. He forced himself to finish the last of his food, stretching and yawning as he stood from the table. He threw away his own empty food containers, turning to walk to his own room and pausing as he saw his houseguest observing him. There was slight, albeit buried concern in those striking emerald eyes. Toshiro sighed, saying softly, “Once I’m caught up with the paperwork from the time I was absent due to this last mission, my days won’t be so long and I’ll recover far faster. I’m just not used to my Reiryoku being this drained. 

“I still have a great amount left, about the same as my Lieutenant, I’ve just never actually  _ expelled _ this much before. I’m not coping with it well. But it  _ is  _ temporary and I should be fully recovered soon.” As he spoke, he leaned against the wall a bit, teal eyes heavy with exhaustion that he just couldn’t be bothered to hide. This was his  _ home, _ even with the other being here. He wasn’t about to put effort into appearances in his own home, the one place that had been his sanctuary since leaving the Academy.

Yukio paused, turning to fully face Toshiro. He knew the man was stubborn, but this was borderline self-inflicting harm. He  _ needed  _ to rest, probably for  _ days,  _ honestly. But he just couldn’t put down his work. Yukio knew there wasn’t anything he could do to help with his work - he had resigned himself to that - but that didn’t mean he couldn’t at least do small things to take the burden off of him. “Do you… need help with anything? Honestly, it doesn’t even look like you could make it to bed,” Yukio said quietly, folding his arms over his chest in a habitually guarded posture, his expression still not revealing the actual depth of his worry. 

Toshiro actually considered the suggestion seriously. Matsumoto’s version of ‘helping’ him was anything but helpful. However, Vorarlberna likely would  _ actually  _ be helpful. “The paperwork I need to do can only be completed by a third seat or above, so you cannot assist with that. However, my well of Reiryoku would fill far faster if I ate more. If you could bring me food… remind me to eat… I’ve always been poor with that. I get absorbed in what I’m doing, don’t notice the time passing by. I wouldn’t want to inconvenience you, however. I know this is already inconvenient enough for you.”

Yukio nodded, but he smirked a bit as he pointed out, “You know, that means I’d have to be outside the radius for you to keep track of me easily.”

“You can send one of the unseated Squad members out. Order whatever you want, I’m not picky. Honestly, I probably won’t even taste it like this,” Toshiro murmured, eyes getting heavy again. The wall seemed to be becoming more comfortable the longer he leaned against it. “But I  _ should _ be eating more to recover faster. Shinigami are not able to draw Reiatsu from the air as Quincy can. We need to consume food in order to replenish our Reiryoku.”

Yukio was rather conflicted, between being a bit insulted that Toshiro didn’t trust him just for long enough for him to retrieve food and the fact that the man looked nearly asleep on his feet. “Why don’t you have someone bring the paperwork and food here? I mean, can’t a Captain take a few sick days after everything you’ve been through?” he asked, though he was starting to think he would soon have to  _ actually  _ help Toshiro to bed if he wasn’t going to collapse on the floor. The longer they talked, the more completely spent he looked. 

Toshiro shook his head, murmuring,  _ “No one _ comes here.”

Yukio sighed and shook his head. He really didn’t want to admit that he was actually worried, but it seemed that Toshiro was forcing his hand. “I’m not watching you waste away in that office.  _ I  _ come here, and I’m sure you can let me bring your stuff here. You can be a good rule-follower and come with me to the office to get it, but you need to be resting. We can stock up on food and I’ll make sure you eat, but what you’re doing to yourself is ridiculous,” he insisted. 

Toshiro blinked slowly, the room not as stable in his vision as before. Maybe he really  _ had _ overdone it. He nodded, unable to find a problem in the other’s reasoning. He held out his index finger, summoning a hell butterfly and relaying a message to his Lieutenant that he was going to recover in his home the next several days, and for her to have all the backlogged paperwork, including any new for that day, boxed and labeled for him to retrieve by noon each day. That was the earliest he could reliably schedule her to do so, as she frequently didn’t even  _ get _ to the office until eleven in the morning.

Unfortunately, imparting a message to a hell butterfly actually required the use of Reiatsu to do, and as the small insect fluttered away a feeling of dizziness slammed into him, his small hand coming up to clutch his head over his eyes as he leaned fully against the wall.

Yukio acted rather quickly, stepping the small distance between them and taking Toshiro’s arm. With the contact, he could easily tell the Captain’s Reiatsu was drained nearly to a level that he doubted he would be  _ able  _ to stay awake for much longer. Yukio strung the arm in his grasp around his shoulder and supported Toshiro as he guided him away from the kitchen and toward the bedroom. “Good thing you said noon, because you’ll need to sleep that long at this rate. As much as you try to take care of everyone else, you should think about yourself sometimes,” he muttered. He shifted a bit to tighten his hold on the wrist he had a grip on to keep Toshiro’s arm around his shoulders, and he brought his other arm around Toshiro’s thin waist, practically dragging him down the hall to the bedroom. 

Toshiro’s eyes had widened at the other’s actions. He allowed him to guide him to his room, not seeing the point in wasting precious energy with arguing. He instead concentrated on making his feet cooperate with the movement so that the Fullbringer wasn’t literally  _ dragging _ him. He leaned a bit more heavily against him, getting his feet properly beneath him, reaching out himself to open the door. 

His room was small, the smallest of the three in the house. He’d always liked it, had chosen it from the two unoccupied rooms when Shiba-taicho had taken him in. He’d never remotely had the desire to switch to one of the larger ones.  _ This _ room was  _ his _ room. Besides, it wasn’t as if he needed much space, small as he was. There was also a full-sized, western-style bed in this room, a gift from Matsumoto after he had commented on how much he preferred them. At least that gift had actually been useful - invaluable even - considering how little sleep he usually got and how important it was that it was unbroken and restful for him to perform his duties to his own exacting standards.

Yukio took Toshiro all the way to the edge of the bed, only releasing him when he was sure he could actually sit up on his own. He glanced around the room for a moment - he actually hadn’t ever been in Toshiro’s bedroom before, even after living there for weeks for the Captain to keep tabs on him. It was very simple, actually smaller than the room he was temporarily staying in. “You need to get changed, huh? Surely you don’t actually sleep in your uniform, though with how dedicated to your work you are, I wouldn’t be surprised if you did,” Yukio shot, though at this point the teasing was quite half hearted. By now, he was certain his real concern was showing, but really who  _ wouldn’t  _ be worried if someone was acting the way Toshiro was? 

Toshiro shrugged out of his haori, carefully folding it. This was the symbol of his division, even as exhausted as he was, he could never show it disrespect. Setting it upon the table beside his bed, he then began removing the rest of his shihakusho, pulling the kosode and shitagi from his hakama, shrugging them off as well, the motion of his hands practiced and steady but slow with fatigue.

“Hey! I’m still  _ here,  _ you know! I didn’t tell you to start stripping in front of me!” Yukio exclaimed, his face quite obviously heating with embarrassment as he averted his eyes from the now half-dressed man. He huffed a bit, thankful that Toshiro had at least paused his actions at his outburst, before adding, “If you don’t need help, I’ll go. I just wanted to make sure you got to bed.”

Toshiro nodded, a faint smile appearing on his face in genuine amusement and gratitude towards the other as he said softly, “I will be fine. Thank you, Vorarlberna.”

Yukio barely had the mind to nod, not verbally replying at all before exiting the room and quickly going to his own. It was still rather early, so he shed his coat, throwing it over the end of his bed, and sat against the headboard with his PSP, turning on his game again. But he found that it really didn’t have his focus. He was honestly worried about Toshiro, but he would never say that out loud. It made no sense to him, how someone could so obviously neglect themselves and  _ no one  _ insist that he rest or do anything to try to recover. He shook his head, though, returning his eyes to the screen between his hands. Toshiro’s unwillingness to take care of himself was really none of his business… and yet he had found it so pressing that he proposed a solution. 

With a sharp sigh, he forced himself to turn his attention to the video game. The sooner he was allowed to go back home, the better. 

* * *

Yukio was bringing food to Toshiro  _ again,  _ though he supposed it was his own choice. He knew Toshiro needed to eat at least three times a day, though with his condition Yukio was bringing him small things in between meals as well. Toshiro always ate it all, and never complained that it was too much, so he figured he was serving his function. Yukio didn’t mind so much, he supposed. He had actually offered to do this. What he  _ didn’t  _ bargain for was that Toshiro would actually be so grateful and kind through the whole thing. 

In the office, he was cold and all but unapproachable, but over the past week in his own home he had let all those walls down, smiling and thanking Yukio every time he brought food for him. It was actually making Yukio wish he never had to go back to his actual workplace, with how much more tolerable the man was behind closed doors. And tolerable was in reality a weak term for how he found himself feeling. Toshiro was  _ likable.  _ Yukio knew he was becoming rather fond of Toshiro, what with him having a fantastic work ethic and great care for those he was responsible for. But now he was seeing kindness and genuine joy that had never been exposed before, and those compounded into a personality he was actually drawn to. 

It was overtly clear that Toshiro thought nothing of him, though, so Yukio never did make his attraction obvious. In fact, he kept a mostly straight face as he slid a small plate of food onto the dining table next to the inkwell, barely glancing at Toshiro before turning to exit the room. Really, the fact that he had remained in casual garb and hadn’t even bothered to put on his shihakusho for a solid week just made Yukio  _ more  _ tempted to actually talk to him. 

“Vorarlberna,” Toshiro called after the other, glancing up from his work, “aren’t you hungry? It  _ is  _ dinner, right?” Time really did slip away from Toshiro when he was focused, counting the days more by the number of meals lately than any attention paid to the actual hour. He’d been able to accomplish far more at home, both recovery-wise and with his work. He was actually caught up with the backlog and just finishing that day’s work. “I’m done here. I can tidy the table so you can eat here as well.”

Yukio stopped in his tracks, slowly turning to face Toshiro. He didn’t often suggest sharing a meal with him, but he had finally gotten to a point that he could actually stop working at a reasonable hour, so he supposed the suggestion wasn’t misplaced. “I guess I could. If you don’t want to be bothered, I can eat in my room, though,” Yukio replied. It was what he did more often than not, mostly to not have to face the fact that his feelings for Toshiro were obviously growing. “And you can call me Yukio, you know. I know my last name isn’t exactly easy,” he added, watching as Toshiro did as he had offered, stacking the day’s paperwork and moving it to the side. 

Toshiro glanced over to him briefly as he continued to carefully organize the papers as he stacked them to the side, “Is that what you prefer to be called? Just because a name is difficult to pronounce does not give one leave to be disrespectful. You have been a great help to me when you had no reason to. I’ll address you however you want me to,” he glanced back at the sharp blonde, chuckling as he added, “within reason.”

Yukio’s heart skipped at the small laugh Toshiro let out, the sound becoming more familiar but no less musical to him. “Just call me Yukio,” he muttered, going to the table when a place was cleared and putting down the plate he had been set to carry to his bedroom. He watched as Toshiro finished organizing and putting aside his work, staring at the side of his face and finding that he was highly grateful that Toshiro had gained back so much strength. There was actually life and vivacity in his eyes again, not the dull weakness that had been in those teal depths only a week prior. 

Toshiro reclaimed his seat, smiling faintly at the food. “Thank you, Yukio,” he said sincerely, glancing up to catch emerald eyes with calm teal. “I feel almost entirely recovered, the rate of which you greatly increased. I am now also completely caught up with my work. I can even start to help with cooking dinner at night. I’m sorry that I cannot tell you how much longer you’ll be required to stay here. However, I can’t say that I’m not grateful. I’m… not very good at taking care of myself. It’s been… pleasant, having you here, and I want you to know I appreciate all you’ve done, Yukio.”

Yukio only nodded before beginning to eat, though he did glance up at Toshiro often. Helping cook dinner… it sounded much too domestic for the rather stoic Captain. Though, Yukio knew Toshiro had been letting his guard down quite a bit in the last week. Actually having an odd version of a  _ life  _ with him, though, may verge on too much for Yukio’s heart, which seemed intent to point out every little thing about Toshiro that was worth liking. “You’re welcome, but really anyone would be concerned if they saw you in the condition you were in a week ago,” he said quietly between bites. 

“You’d be surprised,” Toshiro murmured, continuing to eat. 

Yukio looked up, swallowing his bite of food before saying, “You can’t say your annoying Lieutenant wouldn’t take care of you. She’s loud and irritating, but even I know she cares.” Surely Toshiro wasn’t as alone as he thought he was, but if he was… Yukio really wasn’t sure how he would react to that. 

Toshiro nodded, “Matsumoto would have waited until I passed out at my desk but yes, she would have helped me. However, she would have insisted on full bedrest which would have only put me  _ further _ behind in my work. She’s also not allowed here. No one is, so she wouldn’t have been able to do what you did. The rest of my Squad cares for me as a leader but are far too intimidated to offer assistance - my fault, really. I’m not the warmest person. It’s been difficult, being in the position I am, looking the way I do, to be taken seriously as a capable Captain. I did not achieve that by relying on my Squad for help with my usual duties. At least I have their loyalty and respect. That’s more than enough.”

Yukio grunted rather amusedly, a sort of half-chuckle. “You think I don’t know all about having to deal with being belittled because you look like a child but you function better than most adults? That doesn’t mean you have to push everyone away, though, because sometimes you  _ will  _ need help,” he said, though the usual sting had completely exited his voice, full genuineness taking its place. 

“I know that out of every possible person I know, you would understand, Yukio. No one could possibly empathize with that issue more than you. It’s incredibly impressive - what you’ve accomplished. I only  _ appear _ young. I’m far from a child in age and have had decades to hone my skills. And I still haven’t completely mastered and matured my Bankai. I don’t necessarily mean to push everyone away; it’s just… habit,” Toshiro stated, returning to his food. Toshiro learned long ago, the further people were from your heart, the less damage they did when they turned their back - or their sword - on you. 

“Sounds like you have some bad habits then,” Yukio muttered, hoping the Captain didn’t hear him. He quickly finished his meal and stood from the table, going to the sink and washing his plate and chopsticks, putting them on the rack on the counter to dry, not making eye contact with Toshiro as he passed the table to trudge toward his room. 

“Yukio…” Toshiro called after him but words failed him when the other actually stopped and turned slightly towards him. He wasn’t good at this, at talking to others, at saying what was on his mind. Yukio had no way of knowing exactly why he had such a difficult time in trusting friendship. He really hadn’t believed such a thing actually existed until he saw Ichigo’s pure devotion to his friends. He’d had no agenda, only wanting their freedom and happiness. 

He’d thought he’d had that once. 

He’d been wrong.

Could he really extend his hand, open his heart up to that, again?

Had he not, unwittingly, already done so?

Toshiro smiled at the petite blonde down the hall, small but honest as he said, “Thank you again.” For  _ so _ much more than the food. For more than you could possibly know. “Good night.”

“Good night,” Yukio replied, continuing down the hall to his chosen room. When he closed the door behind him, though, he sighed. Toshiro’s evasion was exhausting, but Yukio knew there was more he wanted to say. His tone wasn’t quite right for that to be all that was on his mind. But, despite the unavoidable fact that he was actually slowly developing a strange feeling of affection toward Toshiro, Yukio put it out of his mind. It wasn’t really his place to do more than he already had, especially since Toshiro would clearly never see him as more than just an acquaintance, someone who helped him once. 

Never a friend, surely. 

And  _ never  _ more than that. 

* * *

Yukio was shivering when he woke that night, and he cuddled into his blankets only tighter as the sensation didn’t budge. It  _ shouldn’t  _ have been cold. It had actually been quite warm in the house lately. When he simply couldn’t shake the chill, he thought he may have been falling ill, but an oddly straining feeling came over him, and he realized that it wasn’t  _ him.  _

His eyes flew open, adjusting quickly to the darkness, and he sat up, throwing the blankets off of himself. He snatched his PSP from the bedside table and all but ran to the source of the frigid energy that was pulsing through the air. When he pulled at Toshiro’s bedroom door, it didn’t budge, and he yanked several times, grunting with the effort and having to put his entire body weight behind the action to finally open the door. He was shocked to see Toshiro tossing and turning in bed, Reiatsu seeping out of him steadily and causing a thick sheet of ice to gather on every surface in the room. 

Yukio knew he would never survive at this rate without intervention, the cold already nearly unbearable and Toshiro’s power only mounting, so he gave the command to activate his Fullbring, the gauntlet of Digital Radial Invaders materializing on his arm and allowing him to encapsulate the entire room in a pocket dimension in which he had complete control. It was a tense few seconds before the effects of the damage and temperature regulation activated, but as soon as they did, Yukio carefully made his way over the slick ice on the floor to Toshiro’s bed. Only then was he really able to take in what was happening. 

Toshiro was  _ crying.  _

Tears left frozen trails on his cheeks, and broken whimpers and sobs were still leaving his trembling lips. “Toshiro,” Yukio said, climbing up onto the bed with him and gently shaking his arm. Still, the Captain didn’t wake, seemingly lost in the hysteria of his dreams. “Toshiro!” he called a bit more loudly, hoping somehow his voice could cut through the noise in Toshiro’s mind and allow him to wake. 

Teal eyes snapped open, trembling in fright, panic, dread. “Yukio,” he gasped out, his gaze locking onto emerald green. “He’s gone -” his voice broke with a rapid inhalation followed by something that sounded far too close to a sob, his voice choking in his throat as he reached for the Fullbringer, his grasp finding Yukio’s shirt and tightening, assuring himself that he was actually here with him, that he wasn’t as completely alone as he felt.

Yukio’s heart began to race at the real, completely uncharacteristic panic in Toshiro’s voice and actions. He steeled himself, though, determined to  _ not  _ allow the emotions to be contagious. He took Toshiro’s shoulders firmly in his hands, sternly locking gazes with him. “Who is gone? I think you were dreaming. Everything is fine,” he insisted, mostly successful in keeping his voice level. 

Toshiro shook his head rapidly before gasping out, “Hyourinmaru - he’s  _ gone. _ He isn’t answering me - my inner world is different and Hyourinmaru… He’s  _ always _ answered me… I called for  _ so long _ and… he’s just  _ gone…” _ Toshiro choked back another sob, more tears rapidly pouring from his eyes only to freeze upon his frigid skin. 

Yukio broke eye contact only to find the sword he knew always rested on a stand at the foot of Toshiro’s bed. He honestly wasn’t sure how zanpakuto and inner worlds worked, but it was worth a try to give him his sword, perhaps remind him that zanpakuto couldn’t just  _ leave.  _ He pried Toshiro’s hand from its grasp on his shirt and crawled down to the end of the bed, not risking slipping on the ice-covered floor, and hefted the weapon up - it was actually heavier than he expected. He slid back to Toshiro and placed the sword in his lap, taking both of his hands and covering them with his own, forcing him to close his fingers around the sheath. “Hyourinmaru is right here,” he said softly. He truly hated how desperate Toshiro looked, completely overwhelmed by anguish with tears still causing beads of ice to weigh down his eyelashes, and he hoped the small gesture would help. 

Yukio was right - of course Hyourinmaru was here. He’d never leave him. Toshiro could feel him within the sword and overwhelming relief settled over him. He sagged into Yukio, his forehead resting against the Fullbringer’s chest as he held his zanpakuto close to his own chest, hands clutching tight around the sheath. He began to calm, slowly, his tears receding and his trembling fading as pure exhaustion washed over him. 

Hyournimaru had never failed to come to him when he called. He wouldn’t do so now without a  _ very _ good reason, Toshiro was sure, but feeling his presence within his zanpakuto reassured him that his dragon was still with him, allowing him to call back his power and coax it into settling peacefully within him, feeling the temperature of the air warm as he did so. Still that feeling of panic lingered just below the surface and he knew it wouldn’t fully leave him until he heard his partner’s voice again. He moved closer to Yukio, seeking out the heat of his far higher body temperature, burying his face against the area just below his left collar bone, sighing as the ice upon his face melted at the other’s warmth.

Yukio was highly relieved that Toshiro seemed to be calming, though he was still holding tightly to his sword and seemed to desperately need more contact than usual. Well, really  _ any  _ contact was more than he usually needed. Yukio released Toshiro’s hands, instead bringing his arms around him and feeling the moisture that was gathering as the ice on Toshiro’s body melted. It was odd, though, that as soon as he had that thought, the wetness was dissipating, obviously not natural ice and water. Yukio sighed, resting his cheek on Toshiro’s hair and not feeling a bit of the cold as the frost on the soft white strands melted at the contact. 

“I’ll… stay with you if you want. I can leave this pocket dimension activated in case this happens again. You need to sleep, though. You’re still not completely recovered, and this probably didn’t help,” Yukio insisted, just his breath continuing to expedite the disappearance of the thin layer of wintry crystals on Toshiro’s hair. 

“Please…” Toshiro said softly, knowing that he’d likely be completely unable to sleep without him near. Yukio had become someone he knew he could rely upon, the Fullbringer’s care for him obvious to Toshiro. He trusted him to help him and with how vulnerable he felt - cut off from Hyourinmaru’s voice - he was heavily relying on Yukio’s sure, solid presence to ground him. 

This was Yukio’s pocket dimension - nothing Yukio did not allow could hurt him here, which at this point Toshiro was convinced the other wouldn’t do. He hadn’t seen him use his Fullbring once since coming to Soul Society and he was a bit amazed he had such fine control over it, knowing that this version of his power was new to him. He shifted closer to him, feeling safe, comforted, and pleasantly warmed as he leaned fully into his body, his face turning so that his cheek rested against his shoulder, his nose against his neck.

Yukio held Toshiro a bit tighter as he settled more comfortably against him, moving his hand slowly up and down Toshiro’s back as a comforting gesture, or as much as he could really muster given the circumstances. Eventually, he felt Toshiro going a bit limp in his arms, though he still kept a hold on his zanpakuto. Yukio shifted to lie back on the bed, Toshiro’s slight weight rested on top of him, not interrupting his position with his head on his shoulder. 

“Go ahead and sleep, Toshiro. We’ll figure this out,” he whispered, the promise unspoken but rather clear in his voice. He  _ never  _ wanted to see Toshiro like that again. Just the memory of the normally composed man with icy tears lining his eyes and freezing on his cheeks caused him to hold him a bit tighter for a moment. If it meant never seeing that again, he was fairly certain he would do anything. 

“Thank you… Yukio…” Toshiro breathed out, relaxing completely against him save for his hold upon Hyourinmaru. With the assurance that Yukio really would help him figure out what had happened and feeling safe within his pocket dimension - even while he was his most vulnerable - Toshiro fell into true, deep sleep, surrounded by Yukio’s quiet power and warmth.

As he closed his eyes, however, the image of snow-covered sideways skyscrapers stretching out endlessly, accompanied by eerie silence and a light snowfall greeted him, haunting him within broken dreams.


	3. Waxing Moon ~ Personal Development

**__ **

**_Chapter 3: Waxing Crescent ~ Personal Development_ **

It had been a month since the start of the snowfall within their inner world. It accumulated upon the skyscrapers which sides faced the open sky, the others below sheltered, the glass oddly pristine. The rest of the flakes fell silently through the endless city, finding no ground upon which to accumulate. Tensa had grown accustomed to the change. It still didn’t feel _wrong_ to him, and the quiet snow did no harm that he could see. It still didn’t feel cold, only soft, even though his breath was always visible in what had to be frigid air - it didn’t _feel_ frigid. 

He had taken to resting in the snow banks of the buildings closest to the sky, enjoying the softness of his make-shift bed - a comfort he hadn’t had before - and the pleasing feeling of soft, light snow falling upon his face, sliding off like glittering white sand. He found that watching it fall calmed him. There was never any wind, it always fell slowly, straight down. It really was beautiful, each flake still carrying that feeling of quiet, protective power.

He felt a subtle change in the stillness, a slight breeze and he looked around. King wasn’t here, he would have immediately sensed him. As he looked in the direction of the breeze, mismatched eyes widened as he took in the sight of a massive, ice-encrusted dragon with piercing ruby red eyes. Overwhelming emotion slammed into him, first and foremost a combination of bloodlust and possession. King was _his,_ this world was _theirs._

And this dragon was an intruder.

He drew his inverted Zangetsu, calling out, “Getsuga Tensho!” as he released the attack towards the invader, a manic grin upon his face, the hollow within him _living_ for a good fight that would end in slaughter.

Hyourinmaru easily weaved around the attempted assault, icy wings beating only once to gain altitude before he dove headlong toward the attacker. He had been searching for _some_ sign of life here that matched the foreign but somehow familiar energy in the skyscrapers his snow gathered on. He had sensed it weeks ago, the latent energy in the constant snowfall acting as a kind of conduit that immediately alerted him of another’s presence. He had been rather content to let it be… 

Until the previous night. 

His master had been calling him, _desperately_ searching for him, but he had been unable to reach him. Something about this world, combined with the fact that his master’s Reiatsu was still recovering, was keeping them from properly connecting, and _that_ had driven Hyourinmaru to further investigate. If this was making it difficult for him to reach his master, he _had_ to figure it out. When his master had finally fallen asleep again, his mind no longer strained under Yukio’s care, Hyourinmaru was free to wander. 

Thankfully, the spirit below him - because he was well aware of the difference between Reiatsu belonging to a zanpakuto spirit and any other being - wasn’t keen on trying to hide. The sudden attack didn’t startle or intimidate him at all. In fact, it only made him more confident in immediately diving to the surface of the buildings and pinning the other down, his sharp tail settled on the stranger’s neck while his serpentine body rested over the other’s thin form, subduing him completely. He lowered his fanged snout to hover only inches from the other spirit’s face, letting out a steamy breath that was traced with a low growl. 

“Who are you?” his deep, booming voice surfaced from his dragon form. 

“Me?!” Tensa screamed back, his voice more hollow than spirit, clawing at the tail that pinned him but only succeeding at chipping off ice that immediately reformed, “Who the _fuck_ are you?!”

Hyourinmaru wasn’t at all rattled by the man’s aggression, his nails not harming him at all as he desperately tried to escape. It was rather obvious by his sudden attack that he was alarmed by his presence, and this was simply his natural reaction. The dragon remained calm, though, not seeing any real threat in the other’s rash actions. “I am Hyourinmaru. It seems that our masters’ inner worlds have somehow merged. The cause is yet to be known, but I may need your cooperation, if you would be willing to provide it,” he stated, his voice level but no less striking than before. 

“Hyourinmaru…” Tensa repeated, trailing off as he stopped struggling. “I’ve heard of you - you belong to that small Captain King’s had a crush on for forever.”

Hyourinmaru’s glowing eyes narrowed in scrutiny. With a long, slow breath he gathered the necessary power to change forms, his body slowly transforming into a more human one, which was more difficult to maintain but easier to manage when communication was involved. When his form settled, he was straddling the other spirit, the thin, icy tip of his tail - which was actually the end of the sash of his yukata in this state - still firmly around his neck. The man’s words were puzzling, even more so than their predicament. “Tell me your name,” he insisted again, his voice still deep and even, but not morphed by the animalistic quality of the dragon he truly was. 

Tensa’s mismatched eyes widened as he watched the transformation. He had thought the dragon was impressive but this man - _this_ man was gorgeous. Long teal hair that cascaded around him, dressed in a lavender yukata that hung open to reveal an undershirt that clung to his chest and made the sculpted muscles obvious. His power had not diminished at all between the two forms and Tensa knew this ancient spirit had far more raw power than even he himself did, really only increasing his attraction as his hollow half would have demanded nothing less. Tensa flushed as he looked into those now ice-silver eyes, trying not to think of the other’s rather intimate position over his body as he murmured out, “Tensa. I am Tensa Zangetsu.”

Hyourinmaru had to stop himself from actually trying to _decipher_ the spirit under him. His reactions and immediate change in demeanor at his transformation were more than confusing, but that was of far less importance. “Zangetsu… you belong to Ichigo Kurosaki. My master helped restore your power,” Hyourinmaru said thoughtfully. Confident that Tensa was no longer on the offensive, he shifted to release him from his hold, instead sitting next to him with his legs tucked beneath him, still staring in contemplation as he attempted to piece together the possible cause for this strange anomaly. 

There was still something odd about Tensa Zangetsu, something Hyourinmaru had never observed in other spirits before. His energy wasn’t _quite_ the same signature as other zanpakuto - it was rather unstable beneath the surface, though well controlled, it seemed. “You are not purely a zanpakuto spirit,” he said plainly. It wasn’t a question, only an observation, and he truly didn’t expect an explanation. His mind was much more occupied considering their predicament. 

Tensa sat up, crossing his legs as he got comfortable upon the snow, "What - of course I'm not purely a zanpakuto spirit - does the mask fragment not give that away? Or my eyes?" 

Hyourinmaru wasn’t exactly pleased with Tensa’s attitude, but he allowed the backhanded response to slide, realizing quickly that his personality was quite abrasive, but he obviously didn’t mean any harm by it. “Every zanpakuto spirit is unique. Your physical characteristics were not reason for me to be alarmed. Your Reiatsu is what _gave it away,_ as you say,” he said calmly. Curiosity getting the best of him, he reached out and touched the horn that protruded from the mask on the left side of Tensa’s head. It was much more obvious with direct contact _what_ exactly was combining with the zanpakuto’s Reiatsu. “You are part hollow,” he observed, pulling his clawed hand away and returning it to rest on his knee. 

Tensa flushed more, the hollow scream coloring his tone as he snapped, "You could have just _asked_ if it's not obvious! And it's not like I've had much experience with other zanpakuto spirits to know exactly how _unique_ their appearances can be - there aren't exactly many around here in Living World and King was too afraid to even _acknowledge_ me for the longest. You're the first I've met that wasn't trying to invade King's inner world." He watched the man carefully so that he would catch the motion if he made to touch him again. What was odd though was he seemed wholly unperturbed with the fact that Tensa was in fact _half hollow_ \- the antithesis of shinigami and not exactly _normal_ \- usually dangerous and unstable. 

Hyourinmaru was a bit taken aback by Tensa’s reaction, though he figured he shouldn’t have been surprised at this point by how unpredictable this man was. His thoughts, though, were still to the fact that he was _here,_ and it was fairly obvious that this was a strange combination of both his master’s and Ichigo Kurosaki’s inner worlds. Silver eyes raised to the sky, though he realized that this world existed on its side - somehow the sky was surrounding them. The snow was obviously his, but the rest… was Tensa’s power. “Do you have any idea why this has happened? I have been resting as my master’s power has been slowly replenishing. When I woke, I was here, with no explanation whatsoever and an evidently weakened connection to my master. We _must_ solve this. My master needs to hear from me.”

"He can't hear you?" Tensa asked, his attention immediately focused upon that. King hadn't been able to hear him for over a year and it had been _hell_ \- for both of them. "What is it you need me to do? I haven't been able to figure anything out myself - our world has been like this ever since King regained his powers."

Hyourinmaru brought his gaze back down to the half-hollow, his expression just as neutral as it had been the entire time. “I believe… perhaps he _could,_ if I had the strength at the time to connect with him. He was _here,_ and I could feel his presence and hear his voice, but I could not reach him. That was only hours ago, just before you attacked me. He has left now and he is calm, but I need to know that I can reach him when he wakes,” he said, his voice low and more implying that he was considering the situation himself than actually speaking to Tensa. 

“But, as far as this entire situation is concerned, I believe it has to do with the sheer _amount_ of Reiatsu my master contributed when Ichigo Kurosaki needed it. He had the most to spare, but it was more than that. He wanted to repay the kindness that your master’s father showed him when he was a child, newly learning to wield my power. Isshin Shiba was like a father to my master, and as such he has always believed in Kurosaki’s innate integrity and sense of goodwill to others. He knows without a doubt that the son of Isshin Shiba would never use his power for anything but good, so he poured as much as he could manage into the sword that gave Ichigo Kurosaki his power back. He did not want there to be even a slight risk that it would fail. So, with the immense infusion of _our_ Reiatsu into Kurosaki, our worlds seem to have leveled and merged.”

Tensa looked towards the sky, “So this incessant snowfall - this is _your_ Reiatsu,” he commented. “Neither King nor I are good with sensing it - I didn’t even know it wasn’t him. It used to rain here, constantly. Snow didn’t seem that much of a change, though I could feel the emotion in the rain, knew it was King’s. I can only feel power and protection from the snow. It’s been calming, actually. Odd, however, that it’s never felt cold.”

Hyourinmaru hummed thoughtfully, meeting Tensa’s mismatched eyes. “I suppose you and your King, as you call him, could be immune to its effects due to circumstance. I touched you, and you did not freeze. Normally, I could not touch any being other than my master safely. Having been run through with a blade brimming with our power has evidently bonded us in a way. If your power and mine did not combine well, there would have likely been chaos, not this peaceful mix of two separate consciousnesses. So, given that this is the case, I can only speculate that we are essentially stuck this way unless my master was to somehow withdraw his power from Ichigo Kurosaki’s body, which would likely drain him to yet another point of little to no Reiatsu,” he explained. 

Tensa’s eyes immediately narrowed, “That is _not_ an option. I won’t lose him again.”

Hyourinmaru’s severe expression softened a bit at Tensa’s obvious protectiveness. “Of course not. I would not expect that my master would accept such a thing, either. As long as I am able to keep contact with my master during this, I am content to keep sharing this world with you,” he assured him, his voice losing the edge that it nearly always contained. 

Tensa calmed at the reassurance, nodding, “As I said, I’ll help in any way that I can. I’m just not sure how to. I was able to communicate with King immediately.”

“Yes, your master’s power was replenished, not depleted. I believe with time I will be able to communicate regularly with him again. It seems that he is sleeping peacefully now, and with his companion’s protection and care, he will likely try to connect with me again when he wakes. I will be prepared to answer his call, however I must, and it should not interfere with you or your King at all,” Hyourinmaru explained. It was encouraging, really, that this initially hostile spirit was quickly taming. It promised a rather serene existence between them, if this were to become even semi-permanent. 

“What do you plan to do?” Tensa asked, getting comfortable again in his make-shift bed of snow. He wasn’t concerned about Hyourinmaru anymore. From what he said of his master, the small Captain had wanted his King to regain his powers - so much so that he had severely depleted his own. A massive amount of the Reiatsu that had been within that sword must have belonged to him if _this_ was the result. He was grateful, really, "Do you need me or King to help in any way? I can pull him here."

Hyourinmaru shook his head, watching as Tensa spread out in the blanket of snow that covered the glass he supposed he could refer to as the ground. “No, I believe I only need to wait until my master wakes. The next time he performs jinzen and comes into this world, I will be more prepared to find him and inform him of the circumstances,” he replied. 

Tensa nodded, "I'll remain here, I would think your master would be less upset being greeted only by you. King was a mess when our connection was severed and it was agony for me, not being able to reach him, watching him suffer like that alone. You said he has someone with him now?" Tensa asked, his mismatched eyes focusing on the other spirit still sitting seiza beside him. 

Hyourinmaru nodded. “Yes, the Fullbringer Yukio Hans Vorarlberna. I gathered from his memories when I was finally able to fully wake for a long period of time that he was required to monitor the boy for the past month. Living in my master’s home and being with him every hour of the day, he has seen the effects of our power depletion and has actually taken the effort to make it possible for my master to recover at home, which has greatly expedited his progress. It was what made it possible for my master to attempt to come here in the first place. When he couldn’t find me and began to panic, Yukio used his own abilities to protect himself from our ice and worked to calm him, even staying with him now as he sleeps. I am highly grateful that the young man was there when my master needed him, and he was willing to act despite risk to his own safety,” he replied. 

"Yukio…" Tensa said, closing his eyes and sifting through his King's memories, though it was really only to be certain he was matching the correct name and face. After the adorable Captain's affections had seemed unattainable, the petite blonde had been his King's subsequent crush. It seemed he had a type for adorable, petite, highly capable, brilliant men. 

And the two were together? Tensa couldn't help but wonder exactly _how_ together. 

"I remember him. Well, _King_ remembers him and I can see the memories. King was always fond of him. I'm sure he's taking good care of your master; he seemed incredibly capable, even at his age. Younger than King and was running his own company, including Xcution. King respects and admires him a lot, actually, though I'm certain he's never told him. He's not as open or carefree with anyone he actually _likes_ \- gets too embarrassed," Tensa said with a grin. 

Hyourinmaru decided he may as well not attempt to read into much of anything Tensa said, because much of it didn’t make sense to him. Why would someone _not_ be open with someone they were fond of? Whatever the case was with this cryptic statement, he nodded his agreement. “Yes, it seems that he is taking care of my master quite capably in my lapse,” he said quietly. Though, he couldn’t help when his curiosity got the best of him. “You say many things I do not understand, Tensa. First you say your King has a ‘crush’ on my master, and then you say he has a difficult time being open with those he is fond of… Why?”

"You… Don't know what a _crush_ is?" Tensa asked incredulously. 

Hyourinmaru’s eyes widened a bit at Tensa’s tone, seeming to believe that he _should_ know these things. “No, my master has never been exposed to that term in this context. Surely you are aware that my master is much older than yours, so there are sure to be vast discrepancies in our knowledge,” he replied. 

Tensa just stared at him for a moment before collecting himself, saying, "A crush is when you like someone - romantically. But you don't say anything. You just really like them and want to be with them but you keep it to yourself."

Hyourinmaru paused for a moment, his thoughts completely derailed by such a seemingly unproductive sequence of actions. He was familiar with romantic attraction, even if his master had never actually _felt_ such a thing for anyone. His Lieutenant certainly wasn’t shy about speaking of it. But _hiding_ said feelings for what seemed like no reason was a bit baffling to him. The only thing he really could find in himself to ask was, “Why?”

"Why what?" Tensa asked, perplexed. 

“What purpose does it serve to hide one’s feelings?” Hyourinmaru clarified. 

Tensa sat up, bracing himself upon his hands positioned behind him, a bit fascinated that this line of inquiry was perfectly honest - Hyourinmaru really didn't understand. Which meant his _master_ didn't either. King sure knew how to pick them, he mused. 

"King didn't think he stood a chance at having a relationship with your master. He was convinced your master didn't like him much and that even if he did, it would never work anyway, what with King being alive and your master a Captain of Soul Society. They'd never be able to be together. So _why would_ he have said anything when he was certain that it wouldn't change any of that and only make things awkward between him and your master? 

"That's why you keep quiet when you have a crush - you fear damaging the relationship you already have with that person and think it's impossible anyway. Safer to say nothing, less painful, hoping eventually those feelings fade away."

Hyourinmaru took a moment to really absorb everything Tensa had said. Really, explained that way, it was quite logical, but still something stuck out in his mind. “What if those feelings never fade? The person is trapped in unrequited feelings that could have been much more. It is quite the trade off, but… would certainty not win out over such avoidance?” he inquired. He truly was trying to understand, but this logic was only becoming more complicated. 

"In some cases, yes, when it doesn't seem so utterly hopeless," Tensa agreed. "Are you saying your master actually would have reciprocated those feelings had King voiced them?" 

Hyourinmaru dropped his gaze to the snow, searching his master’s memories for those pertaining to Ichigo Kurosaki. “I cannot say for certain. My master is _fond_ of your King, in a way, but he has never truly felt romantic attraction to anyone before. Surely he would not have been able to hide such things from me. He admires Ichigo Kurosaki’s integrity, strength, and dedication to those he cares about, but aside from those things, I cannot make a judgment on whether or not he has ever been _attracted_ to him,” he replied, giving Tensa only facts and no speculation. 

"How… He's really _never_ felt romantic attraction?" Tensa asked, amazed and incredulous. "He can't be too young - I thought he had decades on King. How is that possible, that he's never _liked_ someone in that way before?" 

“My master has aged much differently than a usual human of the Living World. Mentally, he is over seventy years old, while his physical body needs more time to fully wield my power. His body is likely equivalent in maturity to Yukio’s. His growth and development does not depend on his age at all, but on his ability to master our power. With that discrepancy has come many other hurdles, including changes in his physical body that he has no interest in exploring, due to his advanced mental age. He considers such things rather juvenile. Though, perhaps he simply has never met a person who piqued his interest…” Hyourinmaru trailed off, bringing his silvery gaze back up to Tensa’s oddly mismatched eyes. He knew the comment likely wasn’t encouraging, given Ichigo’s apparent feelings toward his master, but he honestly couldn’t see any other explanation for his master’s blatant avoidance of things involving personal contact with others. 

Tensa shook his head, "See? Was probably for the best, King keeping those feelings to himself. And you? Have _you_ experienced romantic attraction? Or are you of the same opinion as your master?" Tensa asked, folding his arms. At least he likely didn't have to worry about the other spirit picking up on _his_ slight attraction. 

“I have never considered it, being alone except for my contact with my master. I honestly have no grounds for a solid opinion either way, but I do believe romantic companionship can have a function, given that it is with someone one truly cares about,” Hyourinmaru replied after a bit of thought. He was unsure what the other spirit was hinting at, or why it mattered if a zanpakuto spirit such as himself had ever experienced attraction, but given that this was the first conversation he had engaged in that wasn’t with his master, he was willing to humor Tensa. 

"I suppose that makes sense…" Tensa conceded. Though really, there were quite a few gorgeous Shinigami. He was surprised none had caught the man's eye. After all, they could see and hear everything their masters could see and hear. A few had definitely caught the hollow's attention. Tensa tried to remember the feelings he'd had before merging with the hollow, if he'd felt attraction on his own. He didn't think so - he had been focused on keeping King _alive_ back then. And then just too depressed.

The other’s immediate change in expression, seeming a bit thoughtful now, caught Hyourinmaru’s attention. Really, nothing ever escaped his notice, but he was keeping acutely aware of Tensa, as dynamic as he had been so far. “Have _you_ experienced attraction?” he asked. The evidence of his tone seemed to imply that he had, but Hyourinmaru readily admitted to himself that he was in no way experienced in this aspect of emotion. 

Tensa flushed again, saying, "Yes. Well - the hollow had. And me as well, after we merged. Of course King does…" he trailed off, looking out over the vast expanse of sideways, snow-covered skyscrapers, too embarrassed to meet icy silver eyes. 

The obvious, and quite shocking redness of Tensa’s cheeks took Hyourinmaru by surprise. His aversion was just as worrisome, leading him to ask what he felt was the obvious question, “Are you alright?”

"Fine," Tensa replied, his flush increasing. "Just… It's embarrassing to discuss. Especially with you - I've only ever had King to talk to, and we haven't exactly been close during most of our relationship. So I'm not used to discussing myself at all."

_Especially with you…_

Those words caught Hyourinmaru’s attention nearly immediately. Tensa had spoken of leaving feelings unmentioned in the presence of the person one was attracted to. And now this? _After_ his very odd reaction to his transformation to his semi-human form? But if Tensa was attracted to _him,_ it would be prudent not to point it out. After all, according to what he had just learned, the entire point was to avoid rejection, and Hyourinmaru certainly wasn’t prepared to reciprocate any romantic feelings toward Tensa. He was gathering quickly that he had many of the same qualities as his King - kind, though very outspoken, and caring in a rather guarded way. 

“I see… I have been rather lonely as well, having only my master to communicate with. And I feel my master’s own loneliness. The usually barren tundra that is our inner world just feels… empty. I will admit it has been nice, having another to speak with,” he confessed, his deep voice lowering a bit as he studied Tensa’s contrasting eyes. 

"Yeah," Tensa agreed, his face lighting up in a genuine smile at the thought of _never_ having to be alone again. As odd as Hyourinmaru was, his presence was immensely comforting and calming - on top of being gorgeous. Just like the snow his power had brought to their now shared inner world. If Tensa had to share an inner world with another spirit, he felt like he'd considerably lucked out. "Please thank your master for me - it's because of him that King can hear me again. I'll forever be grateful to you both…" 

Hyourinmaru bowed his head slightly in a nod, but perked up rather quickly when he became aware of his master’s growing consciousness in the outside world. “You may be able to thank him yourself. He is waking, and I doubt he will delay in coming here to attempt to contact me again. He may be shocked by your presence, but he will not be hostile or afraid,” he said, his eyes trailing up to the overcast sky. 

* * *

Toshiro groaned as he surfaced from his fitful sleep. At least he _could_ sleep. He lifted his head from Yukio’s shoulder, a small smile coming to his lips even through his worry and fear as he looked up at him. Yukio had said he'd help him, and he honestly believed him.

Yukio stirred when he felt Toshiro move his head, surprised he had even slept with someone else on top of him like Toshiro was - and had remained for the entire night. He shifted a bit, bringing his arm around Toshiro’s waist as he moved to sit up, supporting the small Captain and holding him in his lap. It was admittedly odd, but Yukio quite enjoyed having him so close, even if it was due to undesirable circumstances. He realized quickly that Toshiro was still clutching Hyourinmaru to his chest, and the same concern from the previous night flooded his mind. “Is… everything alright?” he asked softly, still firmly holding onto Toshiro’s waist. 

"I need to try again - perform a jinzen. I feel him in this blade so he _has_ to be there. Maybe… this time will work. My Reiryoku is more recovered than last night due to getting more rest. _Thank you_ for that, Yukio. I don't even want to consider how out of control my power would have become had you not been here and been willing to calm me down. I didn't hurt you at all, did I?" Concerned teal eyes swept over Yukio’s form but didn't find any obvious damage. 

Yukio shook his head, offering Toshiro a small smile. “No, I was just a bit cold before I got the dimension set up. I’m fine. You do what you need to do,” he said confidently. His face flushed a bit when he seemed to unconsciously tighten his arms around Toshiro before releasing him and sliding him off of his lap. He quickly scooted a bit further from him on the bed, not exactly sure what a jinzen was and not wanting to be in his way. 

Toshiro nodded, arranging himself to sit seiza upon the bed. He rested his zanpakuto across his knees. It wasn’t strictly necessary as Hyourinmaru was a part of _him_ \- not tethered to the blade - but it _could_ help with making a connection when there was interference. 

Teal eyes slipped closed as he fell into meditation, focusing on his breathing, before falling _deeper,_ his eyes opening to find himself sitting upon a snow-covered sideways skyscraper. 

He stood up, looking around to see familiar teal against the white abyss, immediately using shunpo to cross the distance as he cried out, "Hyourinmaru!" 

Hyourinmaru stood and turned at the call, pleased that his master was able to lock on so well to his Reiatsu this time. He wasn’t at all surprised, after even a brief separation, that it seemed his master wasn’t going to slow his approach, so he opened his arms to him, catching him against his body and holding him there for a moment, allowing his calm, confident energy to wash over them. “I never left you, master,” he assured him quietly. He had felt the pure anguish in his master’s failed attempt the night before, the real fear that their connection had been lost, and he never wished to feel that again. 

"I know that now," Toshiro said, resting his cheek against Hyourinmaru's solid, reassuring body as he clutched him tightly. "I just - when you didn't answer my call and I couldn't find you, I panicked. I thought I'd lost you… Yukio helped, brought me my zanpakuto so I could feel your presence, calmed me down enough to get more rest and recover more Reiryoku. 

"Was that the problem? Or was it this? What even _is_ this?" Toshiro asked, knowing Hyourinmaru would understand he was referring to the change in their inner world. "It doesn't feel entirely like you anymore… Actually," he murmured, concentrating, "I feel Kurosaki's Reiatsu. It's _everywhere."_

Hyourinmaru slowly loosened his hold on his master, his own silver eyes tracing over the changed environment of their inner world. “Yes, when you contributed over half of the Reiatsu needed to restore Ichigo Kurosaki’s power, _this_ is what resulted. Our inner worlds have combined, our snow with his tilted city, and I am no longer alone here,” he explained. He turned slightly and coaxed his master from against him, moving aside to reveal Tensa Zangetsu, who was still resting comfortably in the snow bank. 

Toshiro observed the other spirit closely, immediately feeling the hollow energy from him but he had known that Kurosaki hosted such a being, had seen the mask himself. But he hadn't been aware that the hollow was actually his zanpakuto spirit - or at least half of his zanpakuto spirit, if the eyes were any indication. The right eye was a striking blue - but human. The left was clearly hollow, gold upon black, and above it was a mask fragment from which a horn protruded forwards, extended even past his pale face. 

Toshiro turned towards him, asking politely, "Are you Zangetsu? Ichigo Kurosaki's zanpakuto spirit?" 

Tensa stood, faintly amused at how small the Captain actually was, seeing him now with his own eyes. His King was right, he was definitely adorable. "My name is Tensa Zangetsu - you can simply address me as Tensa," he responded, inclining his head politely. 

He was a bit shocked when the Captain actually _bowed_ as he stated, "I am Hitsugaya Toshiro, Captain of the Tenth Division and master of Daiguren Hyourinmaru. I am honored to meet you."

"You… don't need to be so formal," Tensa said sheepishly, completely unused to being treated this way - like someone worthy of respect and not the parasite he was. King may not feel that way anymore but Tensa knew the truth. As much as he now belonged here and was welcomed by his King, he never _should_ have been here. Or existed at all. 

Toshiro stood straight, a small smile pulling at his lips as he replied, "You sound just like him."

Tensa chuckled, shaking his head, not needing the Captain to explain at all who he meant. He looked into his eyes as he said, sincerely, "Thank you. I hope you never know what it feels like for your connection to Hyourinmaru to _really_ be severed, but your powerful Reiatsu restored mine to King. Eighteen months of isolation, slowly feeling like I was losing my mind, and then _finally_ King could hear me again. Anything you need, Captain, just ask. I'm entirely in your debt. You have no idea what you've given us back - not just our power, but _each other."_

Toshiro reached out to clasp Tensa's hand, only taking it when the spirit moved to close the rest of the short distance himself. Toshiro simply held it as he stated softly, "I am glad I was able to help you both. Believe me when I say, I know what it feels like to be lonely." 

He kept hold of the other spirit's hand, enjoying the feeling of what he'd come to know as Kurosaki's Reiatsu humming just under his skin as he turned to Hyourinmaru, asking, "This is permanent, isn't it? Our powers, our inner words are so entwined, I can't even properly tell the boundaries between them. Is this alright? Will both you and Tensa be safe like this?"

Hyourinmaru gave a small nod, turning his eyes from his master to Tensa. “Yes, as of right now, I see no way to disentangle our worlds. Tensa and I have discussed the consequences of this briefly, and we have come to the conclusion that as long as we can both communicate easily with both of you, we will be fine here, sharing this world. There is no inherent risk,” he replied. 

Toshiro smiled at Hyourinmaru, nodding before turning back to Tensa, "It really was good to meet you. I hope you're happy - or at least content - sharing an inner world with Hyourinmaru and I."

Tensa returned his smile, blushing faintly as he replied, "I _am_ happy. So is King. Your power is very soothing and…" Mismatched eyes flickered over to Hyourinmaru as he said, "It's very nice to have company, to not be alone when King isn't here."

Toshiro squeezed Tensa's hand before releasing it, turning back to hug Hyourinmaru around his waist as he said, "I should return. Yukio is likely concerned."

Hyourinmaru returned his master’s embrace with equal strength before nodding. “Yes, master, as soon as you assure him that all is well, _rest,”_ he insisted, knowing that their power still wasn’t fully restored. 

Toshiro chuckled, nodding as he stepped away, falling gracefully into a seiza position. "Yes, Hyourinmaru. Between you and Yukio, I'm sure I'll be kept at home resting for another week." There wasn't any irritation to the statement, only fondness and amusement that he now had _two_ people that were both so clearly concerned about him and his penchant for ignoring his own needs.

“Good,” Hyourinmaru replied, his expression still a bit severe but his tone impossibly fond. If there was anyone who could chisel down his stern exterior, it was his master. As his master sat in the snow, preparing to pull himself out of their now shared inner world, Hyourinmaru mimicked his posture, lowering himself to sit where he had been when his master had arrived, glancing over his shoulder to watch until he faded from view. 

Toshiro closed his eyes, pulling himself out of the jinzen, opening them to his own room. He turned to find Yukio still sitting a little ways away from him and an elated smile lit up his face as he breathed out, "He's here. He's still with me, and he's fine. More than, actually. He has a companion now."

Yukio smiled, but confusion overtook his joy at Toshiro’s last statement. “A companion? What does that mean? I mean, I get that someone is with him but… who? I thought only _your_ zanpakuto lived in your inner world, though I guess I don’t know much about zanpakuto anyway,” he admitted. He figured whatever it was, it certainly couldn’t be harmful, if Toshiro’s overwhelming and genuine happiness was any indication, but he couldn’t help but be curious. 

Toshiro shifted so that he was actually facing Yukio as he explained, "Tensa Zangetsu is with him now. My inner world has been entwined with Ichigo Kurosaki's. Over half of the Reiatsu powering the sword that returned his Shinigami abilities to him was mine and this is apparently the result - our powers have fused along with our inner worlds. Both Hyourinmaru and Tensa seemed happy so I'm not concerned. Powering that sword was the reason I was so drained. Still am a bit - Hyourinmaru says I'm to get more rest," he said fondly. 

“And he’s right, you should. The dimension is still set up around your room, and I could stay with you here if you want. You know your paperwork won’t be ready until noon anyway, so you should sleep,” Yukio insisted, still not approaching Toshiro but watching him closely. He honestly wasn’t concerned much for the combining of his inner world with Ichigo’s. It didn’t seem to be affecting him or his zanpakuto in any negative way. In fact, it seemed to be making them both happier, so he could only be grateful. 

Toshiro slid beneath the blanket, saying softly, "I did sleep better with you here. I wouldn't want to inconvenience you though. You're already doing so much for me, Yukio."

Yukio smiled and shook his head, nearly laughing as Toshiro settled under the covers with Hyourinmaru still held against his chest. “I’m doing what any _friend_ would do, Toshiro. At least, any friend who _knew_ they could help you. Really, having access to your house just gave me all the power I needed to make you stay in bed if you needed to. And now even Hyourinmaru is agreeing with me,” he said with a chuckle. As he looked at the small Captain, though, his expression involuntarily softened. He was becoming quite fond of Toshiro much more quickly than he realized, but he was rather determined to not let it show _too_ much. “Would you mind… if I lie down with you?” he asked, voice slightly timid. 

Toshiro shook his head, his voice soft and low with sleep as he responded, "Of course I don't mind. You likely saved my Division last night from a blizzard by doing so," he said, his lips upturned in a smile even though he was entirely serious - he knew how out of control of himself he was last night. "And my recovery would have been set back severely. Your Fullbring actually brings me a lot of relief, knowing it can cage my power if necessary. Being near you makes me feel safe." Not from others - from himself. 

Yukio slid in next to Toshiro as he spoke, feeling unduly warm at his words. It was quite flattering, actually, that someone as strong as Toshiro Hitsugaya was praising the usefulness of his power. As he settled, though, he couldn’t help but be as close to the small Captain as possible, only just stopping himself from actually curling around him and wrapping him in his arms. He did take a small chance and gently, just barely, buried his nose in soft, snow-colored hair. “I’m just glad I can do anything for you. Thank you for letting me,” he murmured softly. 

Toshiro hummed, shifting closer until he was positioned like before, tucking his nose against Yukio’s neck, feeling practically weightless with relief at _knowing_ he _couldn't_ harm Yukio within his pocket dimension and that his Fullbring would keep him from being able to harm anyone else. He relaxed against him completely, murmuring, "Is this alright?" He could concede that he was a bit starved of physical touch and affection, his Lieutenant being the only one to do so. Again, his own fault, but when you tended to freeze things you touched it seemed necessary to keep distance. 

However Yukio was safe, his Fullbring protecting him, and Toshiro wasn't about to not take advantage of that fact if Yukio was willing to allow him to lay with him like this. 

Yukio sighed contentedly, successfully keeping his breath from shuddering as he fought the urge to kiss Toshiro’s forehead. It was practically against his lips anyway, with the way he was nuzzled into his neck. It was just so… _nice,_ having someone who actually _wanted_ him close like this. And at this point, he had to admit at least to himself that he had feelings for the man next to him. But he wasn’t going to let that ruin _this,_ the obvious security Toshiro felt with him. “This is fine. Get some more rest,” he whispered. 

Toshiro smiled as he did just that, feeling happy and cared for, by both Hyourinmaru, his zanpakuto held securely against his chest, and Yukio. He could never thank the Fullbringer enough for extending to him his friendship, for being there when no one else could be, for calming him, easing his distress, and helping him in every way he was able. He certainly didn’t have to, wasn't here by choice, and yet he still had helped him. Continued to do so. "Thank you, Yukio," Toshiro breathed out, his breath ghosting across Yukio’s collar bone as he spoke. 

Yukio smiled, still intensely having to fight himself down from just gently kissing him, even resisting pressing his lips against his hair. But he did wrap his arms around him, holding him a bit closer, nearly flush with his own body, figuring that wouldn’t be a debatable action considering that Toshiro had literally slept on top of him the previous night. “You’re welcome, Toshiro. Just go to sleep already,” he said quietly, his tone light and a bit teasing. 

Toshiro laughed lightly at the tone, the sound fading as he actually did fall asleep. 

For once without a frown upon his face. 


	4. Lunar Eclipse ~ Vulnerability

**__ **

**_Chapter 4: Lunar Eclipse ~ Vulnerability_ **

Tensa was certain that he would never tire of this. He was lying in the snow, comfy and snug as his mismatched eyes followed the form of Hyourinmaru flying in dizzying patterns above him. The other spirit was magnificent, as human or dragon. Tensa found his dragon form completely fascinating, intrigued that it was his  _ true _ form. As gorgeous as Hyourinmaru was as a human, this form clearly suited him, and he was always struck with awe watching him fly.  _ Fly _ \- with  _ wings. _ Tensa could move through the air, stepping upon the Reiatsu around them, but he was certain that wasn’t remotely the same. 

He’d always wanted to  _ really _ fly.

It had been several weeks since they’d met in their now joined inner world and Tensa hadn’t once left Hyourinmaru’s side while in human form - or sight while in dragon. He hadn’t realized how  _ lonely _ he’d really been, no longer having the hollow separate from him, continually making comments. Now that tendency was  _ his _ and he’d had no one to make those comments too. It had felt both familiar and odd at first, talking so often. Hyourinmaru was mostly quiet but he knew he listened, answered direct questions when asked. He didn’t seem all that bothered by Tensa’s constant stream of conversation though, he was just naturally observant and quiet.

He’d told the other of his own - in comparison - short past, both hollow and spirit, and how they’d been merged. Hyourinmaru had reciprocated in kind, though he spoke far more succinctly, like stating bullet-pointed facts about his life. Hyourinmaru had always been with his master, just as Tensa and the hollow had always been with King. He too had difficulty getting his master to hear his voice at first, but eventually he’d been able to do so. 

His bond with his master grew as his master gained control over their power but Hyourinmaru knew he still held a deep-seated fear of losing that control and hurting the people he cared about. He would have night terrors when he was younger and the first time Hyourinmaru manifested, his master had not triggered it - Hyournimaru had manifested  _ himself _ to comfort him, and his human form was the one he took. He wasn’t certain how he’d done it, only certain that his master needed him and he’d been determined to be there for him. 

He’d had the ability to take the second form ever since but it was slightly taxing to hold, requiring the use of Reiatsu. So most of the time, the dragon form was how he appeared, though when he had longer conversations with Tensa he would become human, easing conversation between them. Tensa didn’t mind which form he took, happy in his company either way. Hyourinmaru never treated him oddly for being half hollow either, didn’t look at him suspiciously or question his motives, so he felt that the other accepted both sides of him as well.

That  _ did not _ help his attraction for the man.

_ No one _ \- not even King - had so readily accepted his hollow, acknowledged his right to exist. His heart skipped a beat whenever he thought of Hyourinmaru’s calm, steady acceptance, his open, unassuming curiosity. He never felt judged when he was with him, only appreciated, and Tensa was falling hard. Still he attempted to ignore those more romantic feelings, knowing that Hyourinmaru likely didn’t share them - hadn’t even experienced them before - and he’d never given any indication that he was interested in Tensa that way. Tensa was content with his company, being able to watch as the beautiful dragon flew through the calm snowfall, being able to talk with him as they lay near one another in the snow. 

That was more than enough - more than Tensa thought he’d ever have. And he was happy. Honestly, actually  _ happy. _

Hyourinmaru was quite aware that Tensa seemed rather attached to him, though he merely assumed it was due to the lack of company he had been suffering since the two beings had merged into one. Having always been alone, Hyourinmaru had no previous concept of companionship, so it was really all quite new to him. He didn’t mind, though. Tensa may have been incessantly talkative, but nothing he said was dull or irritating, despite his rather sharp attitude. 

They had learned quite a bit about one another, and Hyourinmaru was actually finding Tensa to be _pleasant_ to be around. Their initial meeting had been a bit tense, but that had passed quickly, and it was only days before Tensa began to treat Hyourinmaru as a friend, which was something Hyourinmaru had never had before. His master was a different case entirely. They were friendly with one another, but the relationship they held was not even remotely the same. With Tensa, Hyourinmaru felt… free. Wholly accepted and perhaps even _desired._ He didn’t know exactly _how_ Tensa desired him, but the half-hollow obviously desired his company, his conversation, _his_ acceptance. 

All the things Tensa had extended to him, even when he wasn’t obligated to. 

He had been flying for hours now, and Tensa hadn’t moved from where he lay in the blanket of snow below, staring up at him and tracing patterns in the snow that seemed to match his flight. It was amazing how calm the usually energetic spirit was when watching him fly. His focus and serenity made Hyourinmaru wonder if Tensa wanted to actually  _ be  _ in the sky with him. Flying certainly wasn’t a novelty to  _ him,  _ but perhaps the grounded man wanted to know what it was like. 

Hyourinmaru gracefully dove to the surface of the sideways skyscraper Tensa occupied, slithering under the layer of snow just enough to burrow into it a bit, not quite covering himself with it. He came to rest with the end of his snout nearly touching Tensa’s legs, his wings folded back and the rest of his body spread so far that his tail dangled off the edge of their perch. He gave a contented sigh that disturbed the snow around his face, clearing his vision of it and fully revealing his head. He turned slightly to bring bright ruby eyes to Tensa, not speaking but simply resting near him as he knew the other was fond of. Surely, Tensa would break the silence soon. 

Tensa grinned at him, the expression open and free. He'd never had this level of serenity before, this easy companionship. He'd been civil with the hollow, as they both had the same goal of protecting King, but this was different. He didn't tolerate Hyourinmaru, he  _ enjoyed  _ his company. "You looked like you were enjoying yourself," Tensa commented, reaching out to rest his hand on his snout, moving his fingers side to side in a gentle motion. The scales felt so smooth though not cold like he knew they should - seemingly another side effect of the merging of their inner worlds, Tensa was practically immune to even feeling cold. 

Hyourinmaru nudged Tensa’s hand and gave a low, rumbling response, really just a pleased sound, not words at all. When he settled his head back down, he replied, “Yes, as I always do. I have as much freedom to fly here as I did in my master’s separate inner world, and I am grateful it is not something I have had to compromise.”

Tensa looked up at the sky, "I much prefer the snow to the rain. So that was only a plus. Sometimes the sky was blue but that was very rare. I don't even miss it, honestly, not if its return would mean losing the snow. It's hard to put into words how comforting each flake feels to me," Tensa said, his voice softening as he held out his unoccupied hand, snow collecting upon his open palm as he smiled in contentment. 

Hyourinmaru lifted his head again to more directly face Tensa, and seeing the absolute peace in his expression was satisfying in a way he couldn’t explain. “It is the comfort I hope to give my master every time I am in contact with him. I am glad it is benefitting you also,” he said, pushing his head toward Tensa and settling it in the snow next to him, all but snuggling into him with his head under Tensa’s arm. He knew the jagged ice that formed a sort of mane around his head wouldn’t harm Tensa. Really, nothing on him would, except perhaps his claws, and it was a great relief to the dragon that there was finally someone who  _ could  _ be in contact with him other than his master. 

Tensa blinked as he continued to run his fingers across Hyourinmaru's scales, finding the action soothing to him, hoping it was for his companion as well, saying, "I just realized that I've never asked if there's any part of this world you can sense from  _ me.  _ Like, do you feel anything when you rest against the skyscrapers?" 

Hyourinmaru shifted his body a bit, burying deeper into the snow until he contacted the glass beneath the thick layer of snow. “Yes, I always have. The snow, being part of my power, allowed me to realize your presence here immediately. Spread over these buildings, I could sense every bit of this world. At the time, it was wild, defensive Reiatsu. Now, though, it has tamed considerably,” he replied, bright eyes closing to more fully feel the surface beneath him. “With this direct contact, I can identify individual, prominent emotions. Calm, happiness… care.” His voice was low, quieter than it usually was in his dragon form, as he scrutinized the Reiatsu in the physical manifestation of Tensa’s power. 

Tensa smiled, nodding, "Sounds accurate. It's been odd for me, dealing with emotions after having only faint, muted ones before merging with the hollow. It really was like we were only half a person - myself only logic while he was pure emotion."

Hyourinmaru shifted his body to lie along Tensa’s, rumbling lightly, the sound deep in his throat, as he did so. “You seem to have completed one another well,” he commented. 

Tensa blushed immediately at the comment, unused to anything remotely resembling praise. Not that he didn't blush anyway whenever Hyourinmaru rested his comfortable weight against him. A rush of warmth ran through his body at the thought that such a magnificent spirit was actually  _ pleased  _ with him, with  _ all  _ of him. 

Hyourinmaru always had included the hollow part of his being in his words, stating that he was complete this way. Also, not once had he shown an aversion to touching him - not even that first day when he'd touched his mask fragment directly. He rested his other hand upon Hyourinmaru's neck just beyond the icy mane, fingertips trailing over the smooth scales there as he responded softly, still blushing faintly, "Thank you." For  _ so much _ \- more than he could possibly say. But he just knew that the wise, perceptive dragon would understand. 

“You are welcome. I speak only the truth. I believe you know after such time that I do not make attempts at flattery,” the dragon said lowly, or as lowly as his voice would allow. Hyourinmaru gave another light sigh, having always enjoyed Tensa’s light, reverent touches in the weeks they had shared this world. It spoke volumes of Tensa’s actual respect and admiration for him, regardless of whether he was in a recognizably human form. But, he could  _ feel  _ that in the strong Reiatsu the other spirit possessed. Tensa may not have been well practiced in sensing Reiatsu, but Hyourinmaru could feel every tiny fluctuation in Tensa’s, and the other constantly fascinated him with how very dynamic his emotions truly were. 

Now, there was a vast amount of gratefulness, relief, and a small trace of… something he couldn’t quite identify. It seemed to be an odd combination of embarrassment and… attraction? He had never felt such a thing from his master, so it was really only speculation, but Tensa’s face did frequently flush when given any positive attention. Really, Hyourinmaru found the flustered expression amusing, but equally perplexing. After their conversation about attraction and romantic interest, it seemed that Tensa was exhibiting many of the signs that he  _ was  _ attracted to him that way. And Hyourinmaru had to admit to himself that he was fond of Tensa, or else he certainly wouldn’t be lying next to him, allowing him to essentially pet him. If he thought he had any reason to doubt Tensa’s intentions, he would have never allowed him so close to begin with. 

He pulled away slightly, though, to look at the half-hollow, staying close enough that only the hand on his neck was forced to withdraw, the other pale hand still rested on his nose. “You seem highly interested when I fly. Would you like to fly with me?” he suggested. 

Tensa quickly sat up, the hand that had been upon the dragon’s neck coming to the other side of Hyourinmaru’s snout, excitement dancing in mismatched eyes as he exclaimed, “Yes! I mean - I really can? You don’t mind?” 

Hyourinmaru huffed out what would have been a small chuckle at Tensa’s enthusiastic response. “No, I do not mind. You may ride on my back,” he allowed, lightly butting his nose into Tensa’s chest before withdrawing to arm’s length again.

Tensa grinned, stepping upon the Reiatsu in the air to gently place himself upon Hyourinmaru's back. He wasn't remotely concerned about hurting the dragon but he held too much respect for him to not be considerate whenever he touched him. He tucked his legs on either side of his serpentine body, sitting just above the juncture of his wings. His hands slid over the smooth, icy scales. There was no feasible way to grasp, he would have to keep balance with his legs. Settled as well as he could be, he asked, "Is this alright?" 

Hyourinmaru barely felt the weight on his back, but it was somehow comforting. He shifted a bit to raise the front of his body, distancing his wings from the glass beneath them as he spread them. “Yes, I trust you are skilled enough to keep your balance. Are you ready?” he asked, fully flexing his wings and preparing to take off.

"Ready," Tensa breathed out, pure excitement humming through his body, his hand petting along Hyourinmaru's massive neck as his legs gripped more firmly, tensing in anticipation. 

Hyourinmaru needed no effort at all, beating his wings only once to gain distance between most of his body and the building he was resting on. Their power truly didn’t compete, the skyscrapers always keeping perfectly intact despite the inevitable force of his dragon form. It made this odd experience only more pleasant, knowing he likely  _ couldn’t  _ hurt Tensa or anything connected to his Reiatsu. 

With another powerful flex of his wings, he had mounted fully into the sky, his tail finally losing contact. They were already on the highest level of buildings, so the endless sky was at his disposal, giving him the liberation he always cherished in his master’s world. He had never been exposed to another’s inner world, assuming that the endlessness of his master’s was simply to accommodate the sheer size and power of his true form. Whether the expanse of boundless heavens was a result of the fusion of their worlds or it had always been this way for Tensa, it mattered not. What mattered was that they were  _ both  _ happy.

Tensa was laughing. He couldn't help it. The occasional weightlessness as Hyourinmaru moved caused his stomach to flip, experiencing several varied amounts of acceleration that he was unable to anticipate and completely out of his control. He had been entirely correct - this didn’t feel a thing like using shunpo. Even though he didn’t have any control at all over Hyourinmaru’s flight or path of motion, he felt completely free as they soared above snow-covered skyscrapers, though frosted heavens. He’d always had an affinity with the sky - his affection so strong it was a part of his very name. But he’d never truly felt a part of it like this, like Hyourinmaru was born to be, born with  _ wings. _ Just another thing to be grateful for, the other spirit willing to share this wonder with him. 

Affection and joy entirely took over his heart, his continued laughter bright even with the underlying hollow scream. 

It was so obvious in this moment, how much he completely adored his companion, so strong there was no room in his heart to fear such emotion. His hands continued to move against the icy scales of Hyournimaru’s neck as his legs kept his balance and held tight, finally accepting that this affection was far more than some passing, fleeting attraction. 

He was in love. 

And here, experiencing this with Hyourinmaru, it was impossible to feel frightened by that simple fact, the realization only further fueling the joy within him. 

Hyourinmaru played on every one of Tensa’s reactions, his laughter and pure happiness driving him to break his usual pattern more frequently. The contact they held allowed him to feel every trace of the overwhelming joy that took over Tensa’s heart as soon as they left the ground. The emotion was contagious, the sympathy being something Hyourinmaru had never experienced before. The two of them were obviously  _ connected  _ now, in a way that was deeper than just the combining of their inner worlds. 

After a while, there was a palpable shift in Tensa’s Reiatsu, something evident in its strong current that Hyourinmaru had never felt before, not even in his master. It was similar to the attraction and affection he had felt before in the other spirit, but  _ deeper.  _ Hyourinmaru was faintly familiar with it, as the same had recently been flickering occasionally in his own heart. But what  _ was  _ it? He focused on it, not truly needing his mental attention to his flight, it being so much a part of him that it was second nature. As he allowed it to inundate his own Reiatsu, only one word could adequately describe it.

Was he in  _ love?  _

As he considered, he leveled out his path, letting out a foggy breath and letting himself glide across the sky. Tensa was truly the first friend he had ever had, other than his master. Of course, Tensa’s companionship was just  _ different,  _ and he hadn’t really considered  _ how  _ it was different. The possibility of romance had only vaguely crossed his mind, and only in response to Tensa’s initial line of questioning. His master had  _ some  _ knowledge of such things, but it was all very clinical, having no previous experience himself. Really, it had been research so as to not be completely clueless when his Lieutenant insisted on sharing such things - whether they directly involved  _ her  _ or not. 

But thinking of doing such things with Tensa didn’t seem to affect him at all. Perhaps it was the fact that he frequently remained in his dragon form, which was not at all susceptible to such feelings. He supposed it would only be a matter of testing his heightened emotions in his human form. 

He had circled back to the building they often rested on, the constant snowfall always refreshing the comfortable blanket every time they had reason to leave it. He was much more careful with his landing this time, considerate of his passenger as he smoothly slowed, lowering his body to the snow and flattening his wings to allow Tensa an easy dismount. 

Tensa gracefully stepped off, excitement still humming through him as he used shunpo without a thought to stand before Hyourinmaru's head, exclaiming, "That was so amazing! If I had wings, could fly as you do, I don't know if I'd ever touch the ground again - it's so  _ free.  _ Thank you, so much, Hyourinmaru," his hands framed Hyourinmaru's snout again as he thanked him. He still felt so indescribably happy, so completely in  _ love  _ that he moved without a single thought, the action only registering after he'd done it, leaning forward to kiss Hyourinmaru atop his snout between his hands. He froze the second he'd done it, stepping back with shunpo and blushing furiously, looking anywhere but at those large ruby eyes as he stammered out, "S-sorry…"

Hyourinmaru just barely lifted his head at Tensa’s reaction to his  _ own  _ action, and finally it actually made sense. The pieces were coming together, between what Tensa had told him and what he had seen and felt in the other’s Reiatsu. It was definitely love, which meant… 

Hyourinmaru was in love, too. 

He rather quickly closed the distance between them, taking advantage of Tensa’s shock and resting his chin gently on Tensa’s shoulder, nuzzling his icy snout into white hair on the side opposite the partial hollow mask. Gathering the necessary Reiatsu, he transformed as he rested there. When he had completely changed, his head was in the same position, his nose buried in Tensa’s hair, and a clawed hand came up to trace Tensa’s jaw, ending at his chin and bringing contrasting eyes to meet with silver as he pulled away. The emotions that flooded Hyourinmaru in his human form were all the confirmation he needed. 

So, with the same abandon that Tensa had acted, he lowered his face to press his lips to Tensa’s, the contact sending an unnatural chill through him that caused him to hum lightly into the other’s lips.

Tensa was frozen in shock for several long seconds before his hands came up, fisting in long strands of teal as he whimpered and melted against Hyourinmaru. He had no idea how long he had  _ longed  _ for this, his desire for the gorgeous, powerful spirit strong ever since their first meeting. Warmth flooded him even from this simple press of lips, his heart pounding within his chest as relief and excitement and  _ heat  _ coursed through him. It reminded him strongly of flying and similarly, he didn’t want it to end. 

Hyourinmaru had a difficult time actually sorting through what was coursing through him, all of it being completely new and nearly overwhelming. He had never had to  _ work  _ to keep his calm before, never having been blindsided by emotions this powerful. Some animalistic instinct was threatening to take over, though, as legitimate, unfamiliar  _ desire  _ heated his blood. He in no way wanted to separate from Tensa, though. In fact, he wanted to be  _ closer.  _ A low, conflicted growl rumbled up from his throat as he brought an arm around Tensa’s waist and pulled their bodies flush with one another,  _ needing  _ to touch him in every way possible. 

Tensa gasped, feeling Hyourinmaru’s firm, sculpted body against him. His arms wrapped tight around his neck, his body trembling as desire flooded him. He’d been studiously ignoring how this man affected him physically for weeks now and all of that pent up want -  _ need _ \- threatened to consume him. He didn’t know what to do, his King’s knowledge of this woefully inadequate, in theory and experience. He just knew that he desperately needed him to be impossibly closer, wanting everything Hyourinmaru was willing to give. He pressed more firmly against his lips, whimpering as he arched against him.

The desperate sounds and actions coming from the other man seemed to trigger something within Hyourinmaru, and it was as though his body caught fire, the heat completely contrasting with his natural state but not seeming to affect anything other than the quickly building lust that seemed to have overtaken him. Though he knew absolutely nothing in practice, Hyourinmaru was well aware what this was sure to lead to, and he was fully prepared - enthusiastic, even - to place a tangible claim on Tensa. His body and emotions practically  _ demanded  _ it. 

He was rather unceremonious about bringing an ice-laden foot behind Tensa’s legs, sweeping his feet from under him and using his grip on his waist to lower him to the snow on his back, their lips still connected as he settled over him. Despite the fact that Tensa was quite obviously smaller, Hyourinmaru wasn’t at all concerned about hurting him. His strength was undeniable, and it was a good thing, because when he felt the body under him, he couldn’t stop himself from grinding roughly into him, gasping at the pressure. 

With their kiss broken, Hyourinmaru tilted his head to press his lips to Tensa’s neck, trembling with the need to relieve the tension somehow, very nearly satisfying the desire by latching onto Tensa’s skin with his teeth but holding back. “I cannot push you into this,” he murmured into Tensa’s neck, his voice strained as he kept himself still despite the feeling that rushed through his system.

Tensa was breathing exceptionally heavy at this point, irrational frustration making his voice more heavy with the hollow’s scream as he demanded, “Don’t you dare fucking stop now - you’re not pushing me into anything. I want -  _ need _ you. Please, ‘Maru…” He arched his neck, giving Hyourinmaru full access, surrendering to him at the same time as he practically ordered him to continue. 

Hyourinmaru’s eyes flashed a bit at the tangible sensation of Tensa’s complete yielding of control to him. He was so entirely conflicted, needing so many things at once, none of them seeming to want to come to the surface as a  _ primary  _ need. Some of it seemed to originate from the dragon he truly was - the need to claim and protect Tensa - and yet the desire to maintain his calm tried to fight those instincts. But the way Tensa’s body was lying tensely under him, his neck and part of his chest exposed in the v of his coat, brought those animalistic desires to the forefront, and he didn’t even try to steady himself before parting his lips and allowing his teeth to scrape rather unabated against Tensa’s neck, his body pressing him firmly into the snow.

Tensa cried out, mismatched eyes wide as Hyourinmaru all but bit him. The pleasure that surged through him, being marked -  _ claimed _ \- by the other spirit completely overwhelmed any pain he may have felt from the action. His hands trembled, wrapping around to clench against the fabric of Hyourirmaru’s yukata as he arched against him, sharp nails tearing at the cloth as he shuddered beneath him. His voice was almost more hollow than human, reacting to the animalistic way Hyourinmaru was acting as he continued to demand, “Fuck, ‘Maru - more - yes, ‘Maru, claim me -”

Hyourinmaru legitimately growled at Tensa’s words, continuing his rough assault on the other’s neck at his reaction. He was still mindful of his claws as his hand wandered down Tensa’s side, flexing a bit at his hip and threatening to tear the fabric over his skin. Every thought was overshadowed by the dragon in his mind, and he didn’t even realize when he allowed his tongue to pass his teeth, an attempt to soothe the affected skin of Tensa’s neck. Letting this instinct take over was both terrifying and a great relief, but it didn’t seem that he was  _ hurting  _ Tensa, so he allowed it to lead him. 

Tensa whimpered as Hyourinmaru’s attention to his neck gentled, his body lost in indecision. The part of him that was hollow wanted Hyourinmaru to continue being rough, to ravage him, but he was equally human and his heart ached as Hyourinmaru soothed the raw skin of his neck with his tongue. Both actions were undeniably possessive and felt himself surrender even more, moving with the slightest touch to press further into Hyourinmaru’s hard body above him, fighting to keep his hips still as the other hadn’t given him direction or permission on how Tensa should touch  _ him.  _

And he found that he actually needed such direction, far too conflicted between the two sides that made up his being, the hollow wanting passion bordering on violence and the human wanting gentle affection and love. The two opposite extremes entwined within him, robbing him of any actual ability to act, his body trembling as he whimpered and keened, “Please, ‘Maru - Please - Need…” What he didn’t know, just that he  _ needed,  _ desperately, overwhelming heat coursing through him.

Hyourinmaru pulled back, but didn’t remove his body from over Tensa’s, and when he took in the purely lustful expression in mismatched eyes, another chill caused a deep groan to surface. His actions took a hasty turn, intent to relieve his new mate as quickly as possible. A single claw carefully tore down the center of Tensa’s coat, revealing white pants that were just as quickly done away with, Hyourinmaru only slightly shifting down to pull them from Tensa’s narrow hips, the white boots they were tucked into giving way and being discarded with the pants. Hyourinmaru’s expression turned unrelentingly  _ hungry  _ at the sight of Tensa fully exposed under him. He knew there would be a bit of time before he could fully have him, but that didn’t do anything to quench the flame that seemed to be lit inside him. 

Tensa gasped as his clothing was torn from him, his face heating in a blush as Hyourinmaru looked over his body. Again the dual reactions pulled at him, both wanting to expose himself even more and curl up to hide his obvious need, not having to look to know his cock was fully hard and leaking onto his own skin. His hands flexed in the material of Hyourinmaru’s yukata again, actually causing it to rip and tear. 

The sound ignited something predatory within himself, growling as his sharp nails continued to tear at the fabric, practically snarling at the form-fitting undershirt that continued to hide Hyourinmaru’s body from him even as the yukata fell into ribbons. He had tipped towards the hollow half within him, the part of him that was bottomless hunger and desire as he violently tore at the shirt, his sharp nails grazing threateningly over Hyourinmaru’s skin though he was far too gone to control his own actions - he  _ needed _ to see him - to  _ have _ him - needed it  _ now. _

When he felt the snap from docile to greedy in Tensa’s Reiatsu, Hyourinmaru didn’t hesitate to take both of Tensa’s wrists in his hands, quickly shifting them to grip both in one hand in order to still hold himself up over him effectively. He pressed Tensa’s hands against his own chest, not wanting to lose contact or give Tensa the idea that he was angry. Still, his voice was stern and commanding as he said plainly, “If you are to undress me, you will do so calmly. If you cannot, I will do so myself,” silver eyes piercing those of contrasting hues as he spoke.

Tensa snarled out in response, his golden hollow eye glowing against the black sclera,  _ “You _ tore  _ my _ clothes off - and you want  _ me _ to remain all calm and proper?” He pulled against Hyourinmaru’s hold on his wrists but the other spirit had more than enough power to make such a struggle useless, causing him to struggle and snarl more - frustration, need,  _ hunger _ eating away at the more sane half of his mind.

Hyourinmaru’s eyes narrowed a bit. His other hand trailed up to take a firm hold on Tensa’s hair, directing his head to the side. “I had no intention of harming you. The hollow half of your Reiatsu does not guarantee such control. I need you to achieve the balance I know you are capable of, Tensa. I will relieve you regardless, but if you cannot rein in your hollow, I will not allow you  _ any  _ control,” he explained, any need he was experiencing temporarily put to the side in light of Tensa’s struggle. 

Tensa warred with himself, whining in the back of his throat at Hyourinmaru’s words. More than anything else, he wanted to please this man, wanted him to only think well of him, to continue to hear the praise that occasionally fell honestly from his lips. He went limp beneath him, panting in need, soft whines issuing from him as he bared his throat, “Sorry, ‘Maru,” he whimpered. “I… I don’t know if I  _ can _ completely control the hollow…” His voice trailed off, eyes closing, a feeling of failure growing inside of him along with the fear that Hyourinmaru would realize how imperfect the balance within him was, come to his senses and leave him in disappointment and disgust. 

Who in their right mind would what anyone this fragmented? He was literally two people, merged into a single being - even  _ he _ didn’t know how he’d react most of the time. And one of those personalities was a monster that relished in violence. Just because they were in balance when passion was low within him didn’t mean they were at all balanced when passion was high. The hollow  _ thrived _ in strong emotion - his human half battered aside easily. It had happened when King fought - he should have considered he would have difficulty keeping balance during such strong physical intimacy as well.

The conflict and actual  _ despair  _ that so quickly overtook Tensa’s Reiatsu as he tried to do as he was told caused Hyourinmaru’s severe expression to soften a bit, and his words couldn’t have been less true. He loosened his hold on Tensa’s hair, lowering his head to nuzzle his nose into the nook beneath Tensa’s jawbone. He allowed his calm, comforting Reiatsu to wash over both of them, hoping his efforts weren’t in vain. “You  _ can,  _ Tensa. Feel my Reiatsu, focus on it. As you said the snow calmed you, let it fill you. Allow me to  _ help  _ you achieve your balance. Your hollow has brought you  _ joy _ and  _ pleasure,  _ not only violence. I love  _ both  _ sides of you, Tensa. Do not misunderstand my caution for denial,” he murmured, his breath against Tensa’s neck and Tensa’s hands still pressed to his chest.

Tears welled in mismatched eyes, falling silently as he blinked, whispering out, “You… love me?”

No one - not one person - had ever said those words to him before. Not even King. He knew he cared for him, likely did love him in a way, but he’d never said the words. More tears fell as his heart clenched in such a tidal wave of raw, complex emotion, his body trembling again, feeling more vulnerable and exposed to this man than he’d felt in his entire life.

Hyourinmaru heard and  _ felt  _ the emotion that so suddenly cropped up, as Tensa’s emotions tended to do, and lifted his face from where he was nuzzled in. The tears falling from Tensa’s eyes caused immense compassion to enter his heart, and he leaned down to kiss away the moisture, knowing his claws would be useless for such a thing. “Yes,” he replied simply, his lips still against a pale cheek.

Tensa became a mess of tangled emotions, struggling to sort through feelings he had little to no experience dealing with. The light snowfall gently fell against his exposed body upon every inch of him that Hyourinmaru wasn’t directly over and as he kissed away his tears, he found himself doing as Hyourinmaru had instructed, focusing on the calm and protective safety he always found permeating from the snow. He let Hyourinmaru’s power and actions soothe out his erratic emotions until he was able to find that core of joyful love the other brought to him, the pure emotion that had been exposed by their flight. He embraced it, allowed it to fill him, feeling himself balance with the hollow as he did so. 

This was his love for Hyourinmaru - but it was  _ also _ Hyourinmaru’s love for  _ him _ \- both sides of his being, only complete together. He felt more stable, more harmonious, more  _ whole _ than he ever had before and he smiled, leaning into Hyourinmaru’s lips upon his face, turning to press his own lips against them and humming in happy contentment. He still wanted him but the overwhelming need was secondary to this peace. He moved his lips against Hyourinmaru’s playfully, guided by spirited joy, his tongue darting out to trace along the soft skin.

Hyourinmaru let a small smile quirk up the corner of his lips, the usual tense sternness completely dropped at the change in Tensa’s Reiatsu. There was only joy and love now, no hostility present at all. At the gentle - but still a bit frisky - request of his tongue, Hyourinmaru parted his lips to allow him, groaning into Tensa’s mouth as his instinctual need to claim overtook him again, driving him to invade the other’s mouth rather aggressively. To show his renewed trust, though, he slowly loosened his grip on Tensa’s wrists, allowing him the freedom to continue the task that had been interrupted.

Tensa moaned, yielding immediately to Hyourinmaru’s sudden, complete claiming of his mouth. It took several long moments - perhaps whole minutes - for him to actually realize his wrists had been freed. He kissed back, playful but not really challenging as he brought his hands to find the hem of Hyourinmaru’s tight shirt, lifting and pushing it up his body, moaning deeper and kissing back with even more passion as he felt smooth, bare skin against his gentle yet shaking fingers.

Hyourinmaru kept his keen observation toward Tensa’s Reiatsu as his desire clearly mounted, but it seemed that the other had actually gained a stable amount of control. He gently pulled back to allow Tensa to fully remove his shirt, but first he pressed his forehead to Tensa’s, not concerned at all for the fact that the horn of the hollow mask was against the side of his head. “I will help steady you, Tensa, but I  _ know  _ you can achieve this yourself, given time and training. I have yet to fully claim your body, but it seems my heart already calls you mine. I will provide you anything you need from me, and I will aid and support you in your endeavors. You need only ask,” he said quietly, his breath washing over Tensa’s still slightly parted lips.

“‘Maru…” Tensa breathed out, feeling his love for this man overwhelm him again, his shaking hands fisted into his shirt as he closed his eyes, whispering against those lips still so close to his own, “I love you, ‘Maru -  _ so _ much. I know you can probably feel it but I need to say it, need you to hear it. I love you. There’s not a single thing I wouldn’t do for you, because I know you would never ask something of me that would hurt me in any way. I trust you completely and I’m not even scared that I do - I just  _ love _ you. I never thought I could ever give anyone this power over me. Even King cannot command my heart the way you do. The only thing I need from you is  _ you, _ ‘Maru. Now that you're mine I… I want to keep you… I want to always be yours…”

Hyourinmaru pulled away a bit, bringing an ice-covered hand to gently cup Tensa’s cheek, the tips of his claws threading into white hair. “I do not believe I could ever let you go now. Even if we  _ could  _ separate our worlds, I would refuse. We will forever belong to one another,” he replied. He leaned down for only a moment to kiss the mask fragment over Tensa’s left eye before saying softly, “Finish undressing me, Tensa. I would like to completely make you mine.”

Tensa shuddered at the press of lips against his mask, feeling as if Hyourinmaru had directly kissed his heart. His breathing hitched at the quiet, heated words and he immediately moved to comply, his hands still shaking but gentle, removing the shirt the rest of the way before untying the obi, freeing the rest of the tattered yukata to fall from Hyourinmaru's sculpted body. 

He was as impressive and strong as a human as he was in his true form and Tensa reached out to touch every inch of firmly muscled skin he could reach, moaning and kissing along his jaw to capture lips again, mindful of the horn protruding forward from his mask. His motions against his mouth were more certain this time, sucking and lightly nibbling his lower lip, his legs pressing against Hyourinmaru's hips possessively. He hovered too far above him for there to be any real friction between them but Tensa contented himself in exploring his body with his fingers, memorizing each line as he continued to give loving attention to his lips with his own. 

Tensa’s actions and the need that was again rising in his Reiatsu caused Hyourinmaru to act, confident in doing so without any kind of volatile reaction from the hollow. He maintained contact with Tensa’s lips as he considered what was necessary to engage this way. His thoughts didn’t at all distract his actions, though, and he met and playfully subdued every mock challenge Tensa gave, the back-and-forth feeding his own love and desire for this man. When he pulled away again, his breathing was a bit affected, but he forced himself to focus. “Are you aware of what I intend to do?” he asked, not knowing what experience or knowledge Tensa’s King had.

Tensa nearly shook his head before aborting the motion with a blush, realizing almost too late Hyourinmaru's proximity to his horn. Instead he murmured out, "King has repressed this side of himself. He has carried the guilt and depression from his mother's death a long time, and then he was too terrified for his friends and of  _ me  _ to explore his sexuality, even when he spent so much time with your master and developed that crush. 

"After losing access to his powers, believing he'd never see the shinigami he'd become friends with again and losing the strong bond he'd had with his human friends, he became even more depressed than he was before. He only came out of it a bit at Xcution, working on regaining his powers, feeling like he belonged again. Even had his second crush but he still hasn't actually explored his sexuality at all. 

"He's no longer depressed but he is saddened when he thinks about either person he's crushed on, thinking a relationship with either to be impossible. Not exactly a great frame of mind to be in to want to explore such things. 

"All I know is that I want you and I trust anything you do with me will feel amazing." He tilted his face to nuzzle his right cheek against Hyourinmaru's jaw, humming in peace, happiness, and love. He really did trust him, not remotely concerned even with such ignorance. 

Hyourinmaru returned the pressure of Tensa’s cheek against him, again forcing out a bit more protective, calm Reiatsu to surround him. His King had been through quite a bit - Hyourinmaru was already well aware of that. But he also knew how the emotions and circumstances of one’s master could affect a zanpakuto spirit. Tensa had certainly not had it easy, even if he was in a different form at the time, when his King was so lost and disheartened. He turned to press his lips gently to Tensa’s hair, not moving at all and allowing the continued contact as he began to explain. 

“I will need to prepare your body to take me, here,” he began, trailing a hand down Tensa’s body and curving back from his hip to just barely trace a single claw across the other man’s entrance. “But I refuse to hurt you, and while humans would understandably use fingers for such a thing, I cannot. So, I will use a smooth piece of ice to do so, since my power does not affect you at all. It truly seems to be the only sound way to prepare you, given that you will allow it.”

Tensa shuddered at the light touch, his face flushing at the thought of what Hyourinmaru intended to do. Honestly, it had never occurred to him that such a thing could even be an option - Hyourinmaru wasn't exactly small, how the hell was he supposed to fit? He trusted him completely though, still not nervous just… fascinated. "I understand, 'Maru," Tensa said softly, kissing his strong jaw again. "Is there anything I need to do?" 

“Only relax,” Hyourinmaru replied gently. He ran a clawed hand through the snow next to Tensa, producing a tapered length of ice from the Reiatsu that made up the snow, holding it up for Tensa to see. “This is what I will be using. I am allowing you full knowledge of everything I will be doing to you, for your peace of mind. If at any point anything I do is painful, do not hesitate to stop me,” he said, his voice insistent and almost taking a commanding tone again. 

Tensa eyed the ice, reaching out to touch it. It was so odd, not feeling the cold he knew it should feel like. It only felt solid, and a bit wet. "I understand, 'Maru," Tensa replied. "I will tell you if anything you do hurts, but I don't think it will be necessary - you can feel my emotions so well," Tensa said with a smile. It actually didn't bother him at all; he had no reason to conceal how he felt to Hyourinmaru. If anything, it only eased their ability to communicate, Hyourinmaru able to comfort him without Tensa even needing to find the words. 

Hyourinmaru nodded once, leaning his cheek against Tensa’s and nuzzling into him a bit. Though Tensa’s small lapse had sharpened his awareness as a spirit being, part of his mind still leaned toward the  _ dragon  _ side of him, constantly reminding him that Tensa was going to be his  _ mate,  _ the only one to share this intimacy with him, and it only made him love the other spirit  _ more.  _

Still leaning his cheek against him, Hyourinmaru lowered his hand back down to Tensa’s entrance, using his sense of touch to very gently line up the piece of ice, careful not to press at all with his claws. Painstakingly slowly, he prodded the sensitive area with the smooth ice, eventually pressing in only a minuscule amount, judging Tensa’s reaction through his Reiatsu, which was a much better - and much more honest - indicator of emotion than anything else. 

Tensa’s body immediately clamped down on the strange sensation, squirming a bit, unsure how to feel about it. It didn't hurt, just felt utterly strange to have pressure there. He remembered that Hyourinmaru wanted him to remain relaxed and so he took a deep breath, nuzzling against him with his right cheek and willed himself to relax around the ice. 

Hyourinmaru was impressed with Tensa’s ability to relax again so quickly after the involuntary reaction of tensing around the intrusion. The ice being only an extension of his power, he didn’t really  _ feel  _ Tensa clench around it, but his rampant Reiatsu told him everything Tensa never voiced. “Very good, Tensa. Continue to do well for me,” he praised softly. He worked the ice inside a bit further, moving it gently back and forth as he did to be sure that he was doing well in practice what he really only had knowledge of in theory. 

Tensa flushed at the praise, his voice breathy, his breathing becoming more labored as he responded, "Yes, 'Maru. Want to do well for you…" He moaned as the ice stretched him, the sensation transforming steadily from odd to pleasurable as he continued to remain relaxed around it. "Feels good, 'Maru… Want you…" he groaned out, his hips beginning to move with the motion of the ice inside him, collapsing limply against the snow as he remained perfectly relaxed, mismatched eyes becoming half-lidded in slowly mounting pleasure. 

Hyourinmaru allowed the gentle motion of Tensa’s hips, sensing that it was obviously bringing him pleasure and not a bit of pain. He actually felt his own arousal mounting, between Tensa’s obvious enjoyment in his immense relaxation and seemingly involuntary actions, the sheer pleasure in his expression, and the constant, nearly mind-numbing bliss that had completely overshadowed every bit of previous instability and negative emotion in his Reiatsu. Hyourinmaru couldn’t stop himself from lowering his lips to Tensa’s neck again, avoiding the already marked skin in favor of the opposite side, fairly voraciously attacking it in the same possessive manner as before.

Tensa gasped, his upper body arching towards him as he threw his head back, submitting his neck without a thought. The hollow within him crept to the forefront again but this time it didn't overwhelm his human side and was accompanied by a deep seated instinct he didn't even know he possessed. It was an instinct that screamed at him that Hyourinmaru was his mate, that he was to submit to him, to bare his neck, remain vulnerable and exposed, please him. "'Maru…" he whined, the hollow scream apparent in his voice, his golden eye glowing slightly as he further surrendered, his mind locked on giving his mate anything and everything he wanted from him. 

The shift in Tensa’s Reiatsu was incredibly obvious, and Hyourinmaru had to shake his head against the urge to completely skip the rest of the preparation and just  _ claim  _ what was his. Still, he did increase his pace with the ice, clearly feeling that Tensa was not reacting negatively to anything so far. He kept his mouth to Tensa’s neck, his teeth lightly pressed into his smooth skin, but no longer actively nipping as he had been. The contact was what had triggered Tensa’s hollow to bend to him, and something within his mind told Hyourinmaru to keep that reminder intact, keep the hollow under his control. 

As he neared the base of the piece of ice he was using to prepare him, he shifted his mouth only a bit to soothe Tensa’s newly marked skin with his tongue, trailing up to Tensa’s jawbone before he nudged his chin down with his nose, bringing mismatched eyes to meet stern silver. He maintained his deep, commanding tone, determined to keep the hollow firmly in submission, as he said, “I am nearly finished preparing you, and then I will truly make you mine.”

Tensa whimpered, unable to look away from his mate's icy silver gaze, his deep voice breathless as he responded, "Yes, 'Maru - please. Make me yours. Need you - such a strong, loving mate - I'll be so good for you, 'Maru - please…"

Tensa’s choice of words - though they didn’t seem to be a choice at all - caused Hyourinmaru’s eyes to widen and heat to flood his body. He didn’t even try to consider  _ why  _ he was using such a term, but it sparked the animalistic instinct within the dragon, and he gently removed the ice from Tensa’s body, having eased it all the way inside while Tensa spoke. His body acted of its own accord as he centered himself over Tensa’s body, propped on his elbows with his arms caging him in on either side. 

He reached down briefly to be sure he was properly positioned before pressing in, the tight sensation around his cock causing him to groan heavily, the sound more similar to the low rumble of his dragon form than his human voice.  _ “Mine,”  _ he growled as he gently thrusted into Tensa’s body, truly unable to stop himself at this point. To further satisfy his inner animal, he ducked his head to again find fresh skin to mark, the closest available being at the front of Tensa’s throat.

Tensa cried out, the sound far more hollow than human, the warbling scream pitched far higher than his usual deep voice. "'Maru!" he moaned, head back, throat entirely exposed as he was claimed, words falling between labored, hard, panting breaths, "Yours 'Maru - Your mate - Claim me - Mark me - Fuck, so good - Feel you - Yours - All yours 'Maru - Your mate -"

Hyourinmaru’s body seemed to be going into a completely unexplainable state, every ounce of his being focused on the man under him, hyper aware of his Reiatsu and every sound and word he uttered. His hips moved in a steady rhythm, slowly easing deeper into Tensa’s body, the pressure building within him as the tightness surrounded him more and more thoroughly. He felt the slightest twinge of discomfort in Tensa’s Reiatsu as he nipped an area of skin that had already been marked, and he immediately darted his tongue out to ease the feeling, lavishing his entire throat with gentle attention the way he had before. 

When he made his way up to Tensa’s face, he didn’t demand eye contact this time, instead admiring his perfect submission with his neck so wonderfully exposed. The vulnerability was yet another thing that pulled protectiveness and pure love from Hyourinmaru’s heart. “My perfect, beautiful mate - my Tensa - so good for me,” he praised softly, the words seeming to materialize themselves before he even had time to think them, everything about this feeling so natural and instinctual that he felt no need to control or dampen his own actions.

Tensa flushed and keened under the praise, glowing, mismatched eyes focusing on Hyourinmaru's handsome face before the motion between them brought his gaze lower, watching as he continued to gently claim his body, moaning brokenly as he felt him impossibly large and deep within him. Still there was no pain, only fullness, completeness,  _ mate.  _

The pleasure was becoming blinding, especially with Hyourinmaru’s focus on Tensa’s Reiatsu, which was overflowing with the sensation as well, and he groaned heavily as he took the last few thrusts before he was fully seated within Tensa’s body. He felt the walls around him shudder a bit, and he all but growled at the immense pleasure that resulted. “You will let go when you feel the need,” he said lowly, barely holding back himself. This was just  _ too good  _ to rush, and he wanted to be sure that his mate was prepared to experience the same release that he knew was creeping up on him.

"Yes, 'Maru," Tensa responded immediately, "Feels so good, 'Maru - so full - All yours - Love you, my 'Maru - my mate - Want to feel you - Feel you fill me - make me yours 'Maru - Yours to fill - Only yours -" 

Hyourinmaru immediately began a pattern of quick, deep thrusts, moaning around the animalistic rumble in his throat. “Love you, my mate - my Tensa,” he replied around sharp breaths. He felt his pleasure reaching a peak that he was sure to tumble over soon, and his voice was a strained whine as he said, “Let go with me - as I claim you - ah-” the words were cut off by a long, low groan as heat burst beneath every inch of his skin, that same instinct forcing him to bury himself as deeply within Tensa’s body as possible as he filled him.

Tensa’s entire body shuddered but his own release was denied, the hollow within him  _ needing  _ his mate to finish claiming his body, gasping out in a plea, "Bite me, 'Maru - my neck - left - please -" 

Hyourinmaru wasted no time, an aggressive snarl coming up from his throat as he latched onto the left side of Tensa’s neck, biting with firm, likely painful pressure, but he simply couldn’t let up, and it didn’t seem that the hollow side of Tensa wanted him to.

As soon as Hyourinmaru's teeth actually pierced through the skin, Tensa screamed as he came, the sound terrible and hollow as his own Reiatsu and Hyourinmaru's flooded the claiming mark, making it permanent and locking enough of Hyourinmaru's Reiatsu within so as to be sensed by others, declaring him as his mate. The scream faded, more human-sounding whimpers released as he shuddered through intense aftershocks, trembling hands threading into long, cascading teal hair, Hyourinmaru's teeth still yet to withdraw. It didn't even feel painful - just pleasantly ached - much like the feeling deep within him. He was claimed, mated, and so completely in love. He smiled in pure joy, nuzzling into Hyourinmaru's hair, mindful of the hollow horn. 

When he felt Tensa’s Reiatsu settle, Hyourinmaru slowly removed his teeth from his neck, not even thinking before proceeding to lovingly lick the wound, tasting blood but not at all bothered by it. In fact, it only made him feel  _ more  _ bonded with this man, if that were even possible. He had  _ felt  _ the infusion of his own Reiatsu into Tensa, and while it had surprised him, it also increased his innate need to protect his new mate. When he finally stopped tasting blood, he completely withdrew from Tensa’s neck to meet his eyes. “I apologize, Tensa, I was unaware of the details of what seems to be the hollow’s mating ritual,” he said quietly, leaning down to kiss him gently.

Laughter bubbled out of Tensa’s lips, forcing him to turn his head slightly to gasp out, "Mating ritual -" laughter overtook him again before he managed out, "I suppose you're right - and I had no clue myself, only instinct - just sounds so funny when you phrase it that way," he said, grinning and still lightly laughing, mismatched eyes bright with joyful amusement. 

Hyourinmaru gave Tensa a small smile and shook his head slightly. “I was also unaware that the dragon within me had such strong feelings about this type of intimacy. We are now bonded, though, in a permanent way, even more permanent than this combining of our worlds,” he commented, lowering his head to press his lips to the most prominent mark on Tensa’s neck. The vast number of emotions he was feeling for this half-hollow zanpakuto spirit were such that he truly couldn’t fathom them. There was clear love and affection, but now there was also possessiveness, protectiveness, and attachment that simply couldn’t be denied. 

Tensa instinctively tilted his head and shuddered at the gentle kiss upon the mark, feeling desire crash into him so strong he actually moaned loudly, heat flushing his cheeks. "'Maru…" he whimpered, eyes falling half-lidded as he directed his gaze towards him, "I can feel you now, I can  _ feel _ how much you love me, want me - it's far stronger when you touch the mark - feels incredible 'Maru…"

Hyourinmaru smiled, bringing his eyes back up to Tensa. The strength of this new connection was unbelievable, and certainly something he may want to explore some other time. But he felt his strength beginning to wane, the Reiatsu needed to maintain his human form taking its toll after so long. “I  _ do  _ love and want you, but I need to rest a while, my mate,” he murmured, bringing a clawed hand up to thread through Tensa’s hair.

Tensa hummed happily, leaning into the hand in his hair as he responded, "My mate - my dragon. It's alright. As long as I can remain with you - both of your forms are beautiful to me. Don't strain yourself or your master holding onto your human form for longer than you should." He turned his head to kiss Hyourinmaru's wrist, smiling lovingly. 

Hyourinmaru nodded, lowering himself down to kiss Tensa’s lips one last time before withdrawing from his body completely, the odd sensation of pulling out of the tightness causing his breath to hitch a bit. He allowed his relative weakness to take over, closing glowing silver eyes as he felt the transformation beginning to take place, his true form claiming his human body and immediately curling around Tensa when his full, serpentine body materialized. The deeply embedded defensiveness he felt toward the other was only closer to the surface in this form, and he was completely unwilling to be even a small distance from him. He gave a heavy, contented sigh when Tensa was securely surrounded, his icy body coiled around him with one wing nearly over him.

Tensa hummed in contentment, feeling safe, protected,  _ loved.  _ He flexed his own Reiatsu slightly, his usual clothing forming upon him. He really didn't care but he'd likely traumatize King if he happened upon them while they were resting. He snuggled into Hyourinmaru's body, wrapping his arms around a portion of his tail that was thin enough to do so, whispering out, "Love you, 'Maru. My gorgeous mate."

Hyourinmaru let out a low, rumbling sound with a long exhale, lifting his head to press his nose to the tip of Tensa’s horn, as close to a kiss as he could get in this form. “I love you, Tensa - my perfect mate,” he replied. He lowered his head again, resting it in a way that allowed him to continue to watch Tensa. As lonely as he had been, he never thought he would be so thoroughly bonded with  _ anyone.  _ Tensa had certainly caught him by surprise, but their similarly split origins made them incredibly compatible, more so than Hyourinmaru ever thought possible. Intimacy had never even crossed his mind before, really, especially in regard to himself, but it was just so  _ easy  _ with Tensa, and he wouldn’t have given their bond up for anything.

Tensa rarely actually slept within their shared inner world, resting often was enough to have him regain any energy he spent, but he actually felt his eyelids becoming heavy. It was becoming steadily more difficult to keep them open as he yawned, murmuring, "I think that took a lot out of me - likely sealing the mark on my neck. That felt like it took a great deal of Reiatsu." He yawned again, asking, "Is it alright if I sleep with you like this, 'Maru?" He smiled, mismatched eyes peeking over the long body wrapped around him to gaze towards the dragon's head, saying, "I only feel safe, loved, and protected with you wrapped around me like this. I don't feel trapped at all. It's so nice, I think I could  _ actually  _ sleep."

Hyourinmaru felt peaceful joy overtake him at Tensa’s words. “Of course you may, Tensa. I believe you may be feeling my Reiatsu through the mark again, because those things are exactly what I feel for you in this moment - defensive, protective love. I will be here for as long as you sleep,” he replied. He lowered his snout to carefully nudge Tensa’s chin up, intentionally contacting the mark on his neck as a means to share his emotions with him, allowing him to detect the fullness of his feelings for him.

Tensa gasped, moaning again at the abrupt increase in intensity of what he felt from his mate. He went mostly limp, his head still arched so as to keep Hyourinmaru's snout connected with the mark, the action completely instinctive as thoughts fled him, his mind swallowed by Hyourinmaru's strong emotions. He was unable to keep his eyes open, feeling his mate's strong desire that he go to sleep, rest, and allow him to protect him. He was powerless to resist, especially when he wanted the same, slipping rapidly into a deep, peaceful sleep. 

Hyourinmaru felt Tensa fall asleep, but he kept his posture the same, completely unwilling to do anything to interrupt his rest. Having such intimate contact with his mate was satisfying in itself, though, and he was sure he was going to use this method of communication often, especially after seeing how responsive Tensa was to it. Not for control - never anything so demanding or cruel - but in moments like this, when he knew his love needed calm, rest, reassurance, anything his hollow side frequently prevented or tried to overtake.

After a while of simply watching Tensa sleep, Hyourinmaru allowed his own eyes to close, his senses still sharply aware of their surroundings, despite the fact that they were mostly protected in this private world anyway. It didn’t really matter to the dragon - he  _ would  _ protect his mate.

Always.


	5. Full Moon ~ Clarity

**__ **

**_Chapter 5: Full Moon ~ Clarity_ **

Ichigo was sitting cross-legged on his bed, his physical body discarded for the moment and Tensa Zangetsu laying across his lap, his hands resting on the hilt and the flat of the blade. It wasn’t _necessary_ for him to be in bankai to perform jinzen, but it did make it easier, what with more of their power pooling around him in this state. Also, it made Zangetsu’s blade more manageable to be in contact with - another thing Hyourinmaru had told him made the connection simpler to tap into. 

It had been a month since he had actually _met_ Hyourinmaru, but he figured it had been more like nearly two months since their inner worlds had combined. It had taken some time for Tensa to pull him back in - several weeks, actually. Ichigo assumed he was likely just parsing out the situation before he bothered him with details that still weren’t clear. Though, there had been a few odd fluctuations in their power that even _Ichigo_ could feel, so they weren’t exactly subtle. They were zanpakuto spirits, though, and neither of them had ever had anyone to train with, so that was probably what they had been doing. After all, Ichigo wasn’t accustomed to having such a combination of power within him anyway, so surely these foreign sensations would level out. At least he was sleeping well again. Actually, most nights he was more exhausted than he ever remembered being without any explainable reason. 

Over the past month, though, Hyourinmaru had been extremely accommodating to his ignorance, attempting to train him in small things that Tensa was inexperienced in, such as performing jinzen. Ichigo had been instructed all of _once_ in how to do this, and it was under much more stressful circumstances, so his mind hadn’t exactly absorbed the lesson. Every time he did so successfully, which wasn’t often in the past month, Hyourinmaru was kind and supportive, and Tensa was backhandedly impressed that he had actually done something _right_ for once with his shinigami powers.

Still, despite the half-hollow’s snappy attitude, Ichigo could tell he was _happy._ Tensa and Hyourinmaru were obviously friendly with one another, always by each other’s side when he arrived. Though, Ichigo had to remind himself that both of them had been terribly _alone_ until their worlds combined, so it only made sense that they would have taken to one another. And Hyourinmaru was admittedly pleasant company, quiet but kind, and obviously a good companion for Tensa. He supposed that made sense, since Toshiro… 

Well, Toshiro certainly had Ichigo’s attention.

Hyourinmaru had explained the reason their inner worlds had combined in the first place, and Ichigo had finally learned that Toshiro had contributed over half of the Reiatsu that had given Ichigo his powers back. He was eternally grateful, and he knew Tensa was as well. Surely the spirit had gotten the chance to actually _thank_ Toshiro, since he had certainly been back to their inner world in the past two months, but Ichigo hadn’t had such a chance. It didn’t help that he was still rather terrible at performing jinzen - only actually having been able to maintain the meditative state for longer than a few minutes once since he had been training at it - and Toshiro was never assigned missions in the Living World, so he hadn’t even _seen_ Toshiro since learning what he had done for him.

He took a deep breath, clearing his mind and honing in on his own Reiatsu, gathering it within his core and allowing his mind to drop completely from reality, his snow-covered skyscrapers slowly fading into view the longer he remained relaxed and focused. Finally, the image cleared, but what was before him truly wasn’t what he expected, and he nearly fled immediately, his face flushing a deep shade of red as he fully realized _what_ exactly he was seeing.

Tensa was lying on his back in the snow - that in itself wasn’t odd - but Hyourinmaru was braced hovering over his body, aggressively devouring his mouth. Not only that, but both of them were missing clothing, Tensa’s coat nowhere to be seen - Ichigo honestly hadn’t even considered whether he wore pants under it, but thank goodness he _did -_ and Hyourinmaru’s yukata was loose and hanging from his shoulders, the shirt underneath also gone. Add to _all_ of that the fact that wide amber eyes were suddenly caught by bright teal. 

Toshiro hadn’t been able to perform a jinzen since the last time. His bond was such with Hyourinmaru that it was largely unnecessary, able to communicate with him normally without actually falling into his inner world. That form of communication was less taxing on his Reiryoku reserves than fully falling into his inner world. However, he’d had more episodes lately at night, conflicted and stressed, and he had wanted to seek out Hyourinmaru in a more personal, comforting way.

He hadn’t warned him that he was going to perform a jinzen - the thought had never once occurred to him to do so.

But that was when his spirit had been on his own - which was _obviously_ not the case anymore.

He was still kneeling in seiza, unable to look away from Hyourinmaru passionately kissing Tensa - or at least, kissing was probably the closest word for what they were doing. He never thought such an action could be so forceful with so much tongue and teeth. He was frozen by both fascination and embarrassment, viewing something that likely should have remained private. 

It’s not like the two could really hide within their shared inner world, however, so he wasn’t affronted that they would engage in something like this where either he or Ichigo could stumble upon them. He was a bit amazed that Hyourinmaru had been able to engage in this without Toshiro outright sensing it _at all_ \- but then, he probably had and simply confused it for his own conflicted emotions. 

And speaking of Ichigo, he had just appeared, the two entangled zanpakuto spirits between them, and Toshiro’s eyes were immediately drawn to him.

He looked good - _happy._ Well, mortified, currently, but Toshiro had always been able to tell when Ichigo was feeling negatively. He recognized it easily, often having felt negatively himself - depressed even - and Ichigo was terrible at concealing his emotions though it was obvious that he tried to do so, not wanting to burden others with what he saw as his own problems to deal with.

They really were painfully similar in their stubbornness concerning such things.

Toshiro _did_ lean on Hyourinmaru, however, the dragon not allowing him to wallow in negativity for too long before speaking with him about it. Even if he didn’t know how to help, his own experience being mostly limited to Toshiro’s own, it still helped immensely just to talk things out sometimes, to have someone to bounce ideas off of, to hold and comfort him. Yukio was quickly becoming another such person but he couldn’t turn to him for help with this. 

In love with two people. How the hell did that even happen?

He’d admired Ichigo for such a long time now, and sharing his inner world with him, he couldn’t help but feel even closer. He could _feel_ him, able to pick apart his emotions from his own because of their vastly different Reiatsu. Ichigo wasn’t attempting to conceal how he felt at all, likely had no idea that Toshiro was able to sense such things after decades of practice and reading Reiatsu. He’d always thought the man attractive, both physically and with desirable traits. It was the other reason he’d given so much of his own power to him, as much as he hadn’t wanted to acknowledge that at the time. 

Ichigo was beyond unavailable to him, thinking of him in any way romantically beyond futile, and Toshiro simply did not engage in useless activities, shoving that small spark of attraction deep down within him. But then their inner worlds merged and the man became unavoidable. He’d sense some fluctuation of strong emotion from him - and Ichigo _felt_ so damn _strongly_ about seemingly _everything_ \- and his thoughts would automatically turn towards him. Over the past two months, the attraction he had attempted to bury, so deep not even Hyourinmaru could sense it, had been dragged all the way to the surface, his feelings growing as his heart yearned to have those strong emotions directed at _himself._

And then there was Yukio. 

He had continued to help him, getting to the point where he slept beside him each night, allowing Toshiro to cuddle into him. He wasn’t stupid, he knew the blonde was developing strong feelings well beyond friendship at this point. The way he would hold him close, the way he spoke to him - it was obvious in practically every word and gentle action. And it left Toshiro all the more conflicted. He couldn’t deny that he was starting to feel strongly for the Fullbringer as well but he couldn’t _not_ feel attracted to Ichigo, the man literally a part of him now. 

He felt incredibly guilty about the entire situation, feeling like he was having inappropriate thoughts towards one that had no idea he could feel his feelings, and feeling like he was only leading Yukio on when he desperately didn’t mean to. Nothing made sense right now and it was causing him stress, to have episodes of loss of control at night, which Yukio then helped him through and just made the guilt worse. He just wanted to talk to Hyourinmaru, for him to hold him like he did when he was younger, to help him attempt to figure all this out.

However, the dragon was decidedly _busy_ \- and Ichigo looked like he was about to hyperventilate.

He focused on the Ichigo, studiously ignoring their zanpakuto spirits and giving them what privacy he could without simply leaving. He really did look good, just as incredibly handsome as before. He felt another strong pulse of that longing that caused him so much guilt and took a deep breath before stating as calmly as he was able, “Hyourinmaru, Tensa, I do not believe either of us meant to intrude but you should be made aware that you are no longer alone - both Kurosaki and myself are here.” 

Toshiro’s gaze never left Ichigo, smirking as the larger man flushed rather adorably in obvious embarrassment over the entire situation. It wasn’t as though Toshiro wasn’t also embarrassed, but focusing on Ichigo’s embarrassment lessened his own, mitigating that feeling with his fond amusement for the man. 

Damn, he really had it bad. And unfortunately, seeing Hyourinmaru with Tensa that way hadn’t exactly helped him not picture _himself_ in such a state with the gorgeous redhead. Or Yukio. Ah, and there was that familiar guilt again. Why the hell wasn’t this easy?

Hyourinmaru had immediately sensed both presences nearly simultaneously arriving in their shared inner world, but he was honestly having a difficult time tearing himself away from Tensa’s mouth. It had become increasingly more enticing to be with the other this way, their bond only growing over the last month. At his master’s words, though, and the obviously conflicted emotions in his Reiatsu, he gently pulled away from his mate, summoning his calm as he lovingly nuzzled his nose into Tensa’s cheek. He knew Tensa had an even _more_ difficult time aborting such a thing, so he reined in every bit of his own desire before lowering his head and pressing his lips to the claiming mark on Tensa’s neck, allowing him to feel the serenity and let it take over and quench his passion for the time being.

“We must stop, my love. For now only - I will not deny you for any longer than necessary,” he promised in a whisper. He maintained the contact for as long as it took, knowing that both of their masters were shocked, but obviously willing to be patient. In Ichigo’s case, it was more a matter of an actual inability to react, but Hyourinmaru would take advantage of it anyway, intent to calm Tensa before fully withdrawing from him.

Tensa moaned at the surge of calming peace that flooded him, his own passion flaming out rapidly as his body went entirely limp beneath his mate. He never resented that Hyourinmaru could affect him this way. He never abused it, though he often would use it when they were together, only heightening Tensa’s pleasure to impossible heights as it was compounded with his own. 

“I understand, ‘Maru,” he whispered back, “I’ll be good - I can wait. Your master so rarely visits, this must be important. Love you, ‘Maru…” He remained motionless beneath him, not really _able_ to move away from him when Hyourimaru was connected to the bonding mark in this way. He was entirely vulnerable to him like this but it only made him feel more safe and loved, never frightened, and he smiled, mismatched eyes half-lidded and fond as his mate held his full attention.

Hyourinmaru felt Tensa fully calm under his touch, and he pulled away to look into his contrasting eyes. “I love you, Tensa - my beautiful mate,” he murmured. He lifted himself from over Tensa, pulling him up with him and keeping him held against his bare chest with one icy, clawed hand gently running through soft white hair. He was absolutely unwilling to be at all evasive or ashamed of how they had been found. Tensa was his bonded mate, and nothing could change that now. 

Silver eyes came to his master, and he bowed his head slightly to him. “Master, you have been conflicted recently. I assume you came to speak with me,” he said, not necessarily avoiding the topic of his clear relationship with Tensa, but leaving it up to his master whether or not it was worth mentioning.

Teal eyes flickered over to them, his attention torn away from Ichigo’s completely flustered state. He smiled at the sight of Tensa snuggled into Hyourinmaru, thinking they actually looked good together and happy that his long-time companion and dearest friend seemed so happy and clearly in love. “You are correct, but I can return at another time. I didn’t mean to disturb the two of you.” His eyes saddened a bit, knowing that he’d now have to share his spirit with another in a way he’d never had to before, but he knew how incredibly selfish that was. He _wanted_ Hyourinmaru to be happy, to not be lonely. He could share, if it meant Hyourinmaru’s happiness.

Hyourinmaru felt the small shift in his master’s Reiatsu, and he looked up at him again, his gaze softening. “That will not be necessary. Come, you may sit next to me, as closely as you would like. My relationship with Tensa in no way diminishes your importance to me,” he insisted, removing his hand from Tensa’s hair to hold it out to his master in invitation. 

Toshiro took the invitation without a second thought, using shunpo to quickly cross the distance and take his partner’s hand. He sat directly next to him, giving Tensa a small smile as he leaned into Hyourinmaru’s side, still holding his hand. He sighed and closed his eyes in relaxation and comfort, Hyourinmaru’s calming presence never failing to soothe him. 

Ichigo had only just come to his senses, the combined shock of everything that had happened in probably only a few minutes finally calming. But the way Tensa was just content sitting in Hyourinmaru’s lap was honestly more confusing than anything else he had seen. The rest was a bit embarrassing - more than a bit, really - but the fact that the other three just seemed like they were going to go along with all of this without question or concern caused him to speak without thinking at all.

He was only a fair distance from them, close enough that he heard Hyourinmaru invite Toshiro to sit with him, so he likely yelled a bit too loudly when he burst out with, “What the _hell_ is going on, and _why_ are you just acting like nothing just happened, Toshiro?” 

“That’s Hitsugaya-taicho, Kurosaki,” Toshiro immediately snapped back, teal eyes focusing on the other, a scowl crossing his face. Seriously, why did his heart choose _this_ idiot - _and_ he had to share an inner world with him. “It’s fairly obvious to me that our zanpakuto spirits are in love with one another because I can actually feel it in their Reiatsu - not to mention I actually have _tact.”_

“You know I can’t sense Reiatsu very well,” Ichigo grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest. “And talk about _tact,_ it’s not _my_ fault they were doing… _that_ when we got here,” he complained, still a bit flushed as he looked at the three sitting in the snow. It was fairly obvious even without sensing their Reiatsu that the two spirits were in love, but _still…_ seeing them aggressively making out with each other was entirely different. 

Hyourinmaru shifted his arm to put it around his master’s shoulders, not forcing him to release his hand but allowing him to fully lean into his side. “You need not withhold any questions or concerns you may have for the sake of our privacy, master,” he assured him.

Toshiro’s eyes returned to Hyourinmaru, smiling fondly at his partner. That was one thing he adored, having someone he knew he could ask anything and be certain that the other would answer as honestly as he was able. “I should have spoken with you before performing the jinzen, given you at least some warning. I really didn’t mean to intrude. I’ll be sure to do so, in the future. I am curious, though - you did something to immediately calm Tensa. I always thought that Ichigo’s hollow was a bit aggressive but I haven’t seen that at all from him, either time I’ve visited, and he didn’t fight you at all when you had him stop… He practically went limp.”

Hyourinmaru didn’t remove either of his arms from around his master or Tensa, only using his nose to gently nudge Tensa’s chin up to reveal the mark he had placed there. “It seems the animalistic qualities we share - I a dragon and Tensa part hollow, a rather base, instinct-driven creature - demanded a deeper bond than either of us realized. This bite actually transferred a bit of my Reiatsu to Tensa, and I can use contact with it to influence his emotions with my Reiatsu,” he explained, demonstrating by bringing the arm that was around Tensa’s waist up to bring his hand around his shoulder and graze his claws across the area, again flooding Tensa’s Reiatsu with loving calm.

Tensa had been leaning fully into Hyourinmaru’s chest but went completely limp again at the contact, moaning out as he further bared his neck. A blush surfaced on his cheeks, mostly because of the knowledge that King was observing him act this way, but he had no control when Hyourinmaru did this and his embarrassment was short lived, flooded out by Hyourinmaru’s loving calm.

Toshiro’s teal eyes widened, both at Tensa’s reaction and from what he could _feel_ from the bonding mark. Hyourinmaru’s Reiatsu was flooding the mark at the contact, _inside_ Tensa, something he’d only felt those skilled with the ability to use healing kido able to do. It was utterly fascinating and the effect was clearly major on the other zanpakuto spirit, submitting entirely to Hyourinmaru and becoming limp again. It really must have been overwhelming, and Hyourinmaru was only sending him love and calm from what Toshiro could feel. He couldn’t help but wonder how he’d react if sent other emotions and immediately blushed, schooling his thoughts - it wasn’t his business anyway. Curiosity was just his nature but he kept a tight leash on it, dismissing the rather inappropriate thought.

Ichigo slowly approached them, standing in front of the three of them and _staring_ at Tensa. He had never seen his volatile zanpakuto spirit act this way, especially when the hollow was at all involved, which it was permanently now. He saw the quite obvious bite mark on Tensa’s neck, but really that still explained very little to him. They were talking about Reiatsu, which he was abhorrently unskilled at sensing, so he was still as lost as before Hyourinmaru had… _explained,_ as if that was really an explanation. 

“So… you bit him… and now… what?” he asked, still scrutinizing his zanpakuto spirit with narrowed amber eyes.

Hyourinmaru shifted his arm back down to hold Tensa’s waist and gave Ichigo a patient smile, knowing he truly couldn’t sense the highly dynamic Reiatsu that would have easily explained what was clearly puzzling him. “The bite bonded us, as animals bond with their mates. I now have influence over his emotions - a great responsibility that I take very seriously. I know it may not make sense to you, but be assured that Tensa is safe, and he is still perfectly capable of being your strength and protecting you,” he explained, hoping that was enough to clear Ichigo’s highly perplexed thoughts.

Tensa was still a bit out of it as he tried to focus on his King, murmuring out, “I’ve never had good control of the hollow - instinct drives it so severely. The hollow part of me decided ‘Maru was my mate and I practically begged him to bite me - I sealed the bond myself, though I didn’t know what I was doing at the time. I _need_ this, King. I’ve never felt more settled and in harmony with the hollow. I’m still just as strong, if not more so, being more stable. 

“I know ‘Maru would never use our bond to hurt me or you. I wish you could feel it too, King - at least enough to understand better.” He turned to look back to Hyourinmaru, smiling serenely, “I love him, King. I did before we bonded but it’s far stronger now, being able to _feel_ his love for me. It’s amazing…” Tensa trailed off, tilting his head to kiss Hyourinmaru’s strong jaw before settling and leaning against him again, that serene smile still upon his face, Hyourinmaru’s calm still within him. 

Ichigo sighed, a small smile on his face as he fell into a seated position in front of the other three, his softened eyes still to Tensa. “That’s good, Tensa. I don’t need to feel it to see how happy you are - both of you, really,” he said quietly. His smile brightened a bit as he turned to Toshiro, who was looking adorably small under Hyourinmaru’s arm. His heart skipped a beat at the thought, but he quickly reined in that lapse. “At least something good came out of this, huh, Toshiro? They’re getting along, even if I still irritate the hell out of you,” he teased, not being able to help but chuckle lightly at the constant scowl that was set on the small Captain’s face when he looked at him.

Toshiro sighed, “You don’t actually - most of the time. I wish you would actually call me the name I prefer, however. Correcting you each time is what’s frustrating. Even Tensa at least calls me ‘Captain’ instead of my first name.”

Ichigo laughed, shaking his head. “Never knew he was really capable of being polite, honestly,” he said through his joy. His expression tamed a bit, though, as he continued to study bright teal eyes. “I’m glad we’re both here, though. Hyourinmaru told me why this happened, that you contributed over half the power to the sword that restored my Soul Reaper powers. I, uh… wanted to thank you,” he said, his eyes dropping to the snow between them. “It’s meant a lot to have Zangetsu back, in any form,” he added in a mutter.

Toshiro nodded seriously, “When Rukia Kuchiki informed me of what she intended, I helped as much as I could. I knew you couldn’t be doing well, disconnected from your powers and zanpakuto spirit - they are so obviously a part of you. Anyone that couldn’t see that is blind, to think that you could possibly _move on,_ live a normal life. I could no easier exist without Hyourinmaru. If we were ever separated, I wouldn’t stop until we were together again.” Toshiro nuzzled his cheek slightly against Hyourinmaru’s side, remembering the night he’d actually thought he’d lost him, reminding himself that he was right here, that he always would be.

Toshiro continued seriously, “I’m just sorry I couldn’t help you sooner, that you had to go so long cut off from each other that way. If I had been able to think of a way, I honestly wouldn’t have cared about how many rules it broke to do so, I _would_ have helped you, Kurosaki. What Soul Society did to you, just letting your power slip away like that, abandoning you - it’s unforgivable. 

“I had to make sure Kuchiki’s plan would work. I felt partially responsible for you losing your powers to begin with, not being strong enough to kill Aizen with the two opportunities that I’d had. I don’t regret it at all, nor mind sharing our inner worlds all that much. I would do so again, even if I knew this would be the result. You deserve to be happy and whole, Kurosaki, both of which I know would have been impossible if you’d remained cut off from your powers.”

Ichigo’s eyes had wandered back up to Toshiro as he spoke, and the conviction in his words was a bit unexpected, making his heart race for a reason he didn’t understand. 

Hyourinmaru was a bit amused by both of their aversions, clearly feeling the slight tension between them. Tensa had even told him that his King was attracted to his master, and it was actually quite obvious to the highly observant spirit. “My master has always been quite lonely, his vast Reiatsu always pushing others away - or, making him feel as though he had to push them away himself. Sharing this world has brought us all much-needed companionship. Though, with Yukio constantly at his side, he has been steadily letting go of that sense of solitude,” he stated plainly. 

Toshiro was honestly thrown by the statement, never considering that Hyourinmaru would actually talk about him that way to others - not that there had been others to talk about him to before. At the mention of the Fullbringer, he was instantly reminded of why he had sought Hyourinmaru out in the first place but it was _not_ a conversation he wanted to have in front of _Ichigo_ of all people. He panicked a bit, saying far more harshly than he’d intended, “I don’t know what you mean by that - it’s not like Yukio has much of a choice but to be near me. And I don’t have a choice in the arrangement either.”

Hyourinmaru was incredibly accustomed to his master’s defensiveness, and nearly smiled fondly in response, but held onto his neutrality. “He has had a choice of _how_ he has treated you, and you cannot deny the two of you have become quite close. Though your power has greatly recovered, nearly to full strength, he is still sure to inquire on your condition multiple times each day, and he no longer begrudges the fact that he must remain near you, nor you to him,” he pointed out.

“Wait, and you just called him _Yukio._ You don’t call people by their first names unless you’re mad at them and you use their last name, too. I know you’re pretty pissed when you go through all the effort of calling me Ichigo Kurosaki when you’re actually talking to me. I don’t know what you do when I’m not there, though. You call me Ichigo?” Ichigo teased with a small smirk and a wink.

Toshiro’s face heated, his heart skipping a beat - why did he have to be so damn _handsome_ and _endearing_ and - “That’s ridiculous - of course not. Yukio requested I call him by his first name. That’s _all.”_

Ichigo just barely held back from laughing at Toshiro’s adorable blush. “Oh, so if I asked you to, you’d call me Ichigo?” he asked, still chuckling a bit.

“Well, you’ve never actually _asked_ me to…” Toshiro said, glaring out at the lightly falling snow, his gaze avoidant. He was trapped now and he knew it. If Ichigo actually asked him, he’d be practically forced to comply or he’d keep reading into his relationship - _friendship_ \- with Yukio. Why was all of this so hard? 

Ichigo couldn’t help but think Toshiro was just more attractive with that sharp, rather frustrated look on his face. Still, he didn’t want to push. Clearly Toshiro was a bit conflicted - even Ichigo knew that much. He had certainly seen avoidance before. “What’s the big deal anyway? Why _are_ you so proper all the time? You think it would be such a bad thing if you actually started to _like_ someone?” he asked, his tone still teasing, but much quieter than before.

Toshiro became even more defensive at the question - it had actually _hurt,_ being asked that. Ichigo had no way of knowing anything about his past, being such a private person. He had no idea how he’d been hurt by the few people he’d trusted with friendship, how he’d hurt the few that tried to trust him with their own, his strong Reiatsu deadly to be around when he lost control. Letting Yukio into his heart hadn’t been intentional and likely wouldn’t have happened at all had their circumstances been different. He _didn’t_ trust friendship - someone _always_ got hurt - and he trusted _relationships_ far less. “Yes,” was all he bit out, trying not to direct all that pain, despair, and resentful loneliness at Ichigo. He didn’t deserve it, hadn’t meant offense, but Toshiro was having an increasingly difficult time not saying far more than he should.

The absolute misery in Toshiro’s expression as he stared out at the snow and the way he snapped just that single word struck Ichigo’s heart in a way that he thought had faded. That old crush was coming back with a heavy vengeance, and all he wanted to do was hold him. He knew he didn’t understand, probably never would, but there had to be _something_ he could do. Toshiro was just so closed off, never accepting support from anyone. And even if Ichigo _wanted_ to offer him that support, it seemed that Yukio was in a better position than he was to provide it. “Sorry, Toshiro,” was all he could really think to say, bringing his hand up to run it through his own hair with a sigh.

Toshiro’s eyes flickered over to Ichigo, his heart twisting at the sight. He knew Ichigo never meant any ill-will, that he was only trying to help him. It was just what Ichigo did. Toshiro sighed, shaking his head, “I’m old, Kurosaki. I’ve lived through a lot, been hurt a great deal - usually caused by my own power. I’ve hurt _others_ \- people I _was_ close to. So yes, it’s a bad thing when I actually like someone - it’s a bad thing to be close to me in general. 

“Hyourinmaru was always the one being I could never harm, the only one I ever felt like I could allow myself to become close to. My… _friendship…_ with Yukio wasn’t at all intentional. I’ve only allowed it to continue because he’s able to use his Fullbring to make himself immune to the deadly cold of my Reiatsu. I should not have snapped at you, I know you didn’t mean to anger me or bring up any past pain. It was immature of me and I apologize.”

Toshiro’s sincerity brought a small smile to Ichigo’s lips, and he brought compassionate amber eyes up again to meet still-guarded teal. “Then… you could be closer to Yukio, right? I mean, he’s cute - really kinda sexy in his own way - and ridiculously smart. It’s no wonder you two are getting along so well, you’re so similar,” he said, not truly watching his wording _at all_ when speaking to the one person he should have known caught _everything._ Really, he just wanted Toshiro to have someone, even if that person wasn’t him. He had always been well aware of how reclusive Toshiro was, and now he knew just how miserable it was making him. He had always been one to try to help everyone he cared about, even if that meant making himself suffer, and this was no different.

Teal eyes widened at Ichigo’s choice of words, his heart clenching tight as he felt compelled to ask, “Is that what you think of me? That I’m…” he found that he couldn’t bring himself to repeat what Ichigo had said, though he entirely agreed with him that the adjectives applied to Yukio. And then there was the fact that _Ichigo_ also saw _Yukio_ that way. 

Ichigo froze, his eyes widening when he really grasped what he had said. He felt his face heating, knowing his blush was unavoidably noticeable. “I - um - I don’t know… maybe? I guess - really -” he cut himself off with an unsteady breath, dropping his face into his hands. “Yeah,” he muttered, his voice muffled by his palms. 

Toshiro felt elation and _hope_ surge through him before it was abruptly strangled by guilt because -

_Yukio._

He couldn’t pursue anything with either man without hurting the other. Yukio likely far more, given how close he actually was becoming. And he just couldn’t do that to him, cared about him far too much. But it was impossible for him to ignore his feelings towards Ichigo. He turned into Hyourinmaru, burying his face against his side, wrapping his arms around him. 

He came in contact with Tensa a bit as he did so but the other spirit moved slightly to allow the motion before hesitantly reaching out, his hand soothingly threading through thick white hair, similar to his own but shorter and without the natural wave. He wasn’t able to sense Toshiro the way he could Hyourinmaru but it was obvious that the man was conflicted and with him being so important to his mate, he couldn’t help but want to comfort him. He smiled when Toshiro didn’t react negatively to his touch - actually leaning into it a bit - still keeping his face buried. 

Hyourinmaru sighed, holding his master close to his side. He could clearly feel the conflict, but he had no solution to offer. Obviously, there were some things that needed to be discussed - things that he knew his master never was very keen on putting out in the open. But in this case, it was the only way to clear the air. Hyourinmaru was fairly certain Ichigo wasn’t even aware of the feelings that were plaguing his master, and a glance at the young man proved him correct. 

Ichigo was completely taken aback by Toshiro’s reaction to his confession. He felt extremely torn, not really having any idea how to approach the situation besides head-on. “Did I… say something wrong?” he asked, confused amber eyes flicking between the three across from him.

“No,” Toshiro said softly, keeping his face buried against Hyourinmaru’s side. “I can feel that you’re being honest, that’s never wrong.” It did make all of this far more difficult to navigate though, knowing now that there were _two_ people that he’d end up hurting. And it seemed completely unavoidable to him that he _would_ hurt them both.

Toshiro’s statement only made Ichigo _more_ perplexed. But he was growing rather tired of seeing Toshiro obviously beating himself up about _whatever_ was bothering him. “Toshiro, _what_ is going on?” he demanded rather forcefully, not taking his eyes away from the side of the small Captain’s face, the only thing he could see with his face buried in Hyourinmaru’s side.

Toshiro _couldn’t_ answer that question, only holding Hyourinmaru tighter, half tempted to leave their inner world entirely to avoid all of this completely but he knew then he’d have to face Yukio, the attentive Fullbringer watching over his body while he had performed the jinzen. And the blonde would _immediately_ know something was wrong. All he could get out was, “I don’t want to hurt you…” _Either_ of you… 

Ichigo was becoming increasingly concerned and more than a bit frustrated, and Hyourinmaru knew the young man had a tendency to speak without fully considering his words, and his master was in no state to endure such brazenness without being unintentionally hurt. “Ichigo,” Hyourinmaru beckoned his attention, bringing amber eyes to meet with silver, “my master is not meaning to push you away. He is being honest with you - he does not want to hurt you. He is having quite conflicting thoughts concerning you _and_ Yukio, both of you having earned his affections. He is concerned that admitting that to both of you will end the friendship he has with the two of you. He does not want to let either of you down, so the only clear solution he sees is to push you both away. But I cannot stand it any more than you can, Ichigo.”

Hyourinmaru brought his hand up from where it was holding his master against him, his claws gently threading into snow white hair and twining with Tensa’s fingers as he did so. “I apologize if I have overstepped, master, but you are only hurting yourself in keeping this quiet. He needed to know the truth,” he said quietly. 

Logically Toshiro knew Hyourinmaru was right, knew he had to be honest with Ichigo. He didn't know how exactly to feel about Hyourinmaru saying the words for him but he knew he would have never been able to say them himself - he wasn't able to face this at all. Saying those words out loud would have made them real and he desperately didn't want them to be - didn't want to hurt either Ichigo or Yukio with his conflicted affection, something that had only ever brought pain. 

Why should this be any different? 

The words _had_ been said, however, and as necessary as he knew it had been, he still felt tears collect in his eyes, his body beginning to tremble as he fought against despair. Why was he like this? Why was nothing ever easy when it came to relationships with him? He just didn't want to be alone - didn't want to always over complicate - didn't want to continually hurt those he _loved_ \- 

Ichigo watched as Toshiro’s small body began to tremble, though obviously not from the cold, and ice began to creep up Toshiro’s legs. He didn’t seem aware of it, huddled into Hyourinmaru’s side and desperately fighting against the onslaught of emotion. The massive amount of worry that flooded his heart completely overshadowed any relief or joy he may have felt hearing that Toshiro actually returned his feelings. “Toshiro… that doesn’t hurt me,” he insisted, speaking firmly enough that Toshiro would actually believe him and listen. “You know why? 

“Because I’m the same way, just for a different reason. I never stopped liking you when I started liking Yukio after I met him. You’re both gorgeous and, underneath all this evasive bullshit, you were both always nice to me - though Yukio a bit more backhandedly than you. But that’s beside the point. The _point_ is I’d take _both_ of you if you’d have me, because I know I couldn’t choose between you. But I _never_ thought even _one_ of you would ever be attracted to a reckless idiot like me. Do you get what I’m saying, Toshiro? I don’t think you should have to _choose,_ because if you’re like me, you didn’t _choose_ to have feelings for both of us in the first place.”

"What are you saying?" Toshiro asked, his voice barely audible and strained with emotion. "How is that supposed to make me feel any better, knowing that you'd feel the same conflict being with me as I would being with you… Yukio… He doesn't deserve this…"

Ichigo chuckled a bit at just how much Toshiro’s emotions were really clouding his intentions. “You really don’t get it. I mean, if Yukio would have us both - which, I have no idea how he feels about me - then no one would have to compromise. _No one_ would be hurt, and we could _all_ be together,” he explained as plainly as he could.

Toshiro’s negative emotions were rather abruptly lifted at the ridiculousness of the suggestion. He turned toward Ichigo, seeing that determination he'd become so impossibly fond of is his lovely amber eyes. "You're serious…" he whispered. Was that _really_ an option? There was no way that'd work… Ichigo and Yukio couldn't even physically be together, separated by worlds neither could easily travel between. 

Ichigo was really more relieved that Toshiro was actually _looking_ at him at this point. As long as he could calm him down, he was fairly certain things could be solved. “Of course I’m serious. Am I ever not serious?” he teased, giving Toshiro a smile.

"Even if you are - it still seems beyond hopeless," Toshiro whispered, pressing his cheek against Hyourinmaru for comfort. 

Ichigo’s expression dropped, again becoming a bit frustrated with Toshiro’s pessimism. “Yeah, I know it seems that way. Believe me, I gave up on you for two reasons - I thought you didn’t like me anyway, and I didn’t think we could ever be together with you living in the Soul Society. But _look._ Here we are - together. You and Yukio are way smarter than me. Figure out a way to get him here, and we’ll be fine. And don’t you dare start spouting off all the reasons it won’t work. _Talk to Yukio_ before you decide _anything_ is hopeless,” he insisted, his voice firm and decisive.

Toshiro ducked his head, eyes directed downwards as he said, "I couldn't even tell _you_ \- how am I supposed to talk to Yukio about this? If he says no - we still have to live together. We're always near one another. And I… I can't hurt him… I can't ask him to be alright with sharing me with anyone… I can't see sadness in those beautiful emerald eyes whenever he looks at me… I couldn't bear it - Ichigo, I don't remotely know how to handle such a conversation…"

Ichigo’s eyes widened at the sound of his first name falling from _Toshiro’s_ mouth. At this point, with how vulnerable this man was making himself, he couldn’t help but act. So he stood only long enough to take the few steps to close the distance between them, sitting on his knees so close to Toshiro that their legs were nearly touching. 

He slowly brought his hand to Toshiro’s chin, bringing his eyes up. “And I can’t see sadness in _your_ eyes, Toshiro. If I could do this for you, I would - in a heartbeat - but no one can go back with you. I know he’s smart enough to realize that this _isn’t_ about choosing, or even sharing, really. It’s about all of us being happy, because apparently hearts are _stupid_ sometimes, and we can’t stop ourselves from loving _two_ people _equally,”_ he said, trying to keep his tone light, but obvious emotion bubbling to the surface.

"Sorry," Toshiro whispered, "I've never been any good with optimism, and I often express negative emotions… I really don't understand how either of you could possibly want me - could _love_ me… I see it, can _feel_ it within you - and Yukio has that same affection whenever he looks at me. I'm sorry I'm such a mess with this… I don't really _want_ to feel so sad… Just - no relationship has ever been easy for me. I either push or pull too hard until everyone leaves me alone. It was always safer that way, anyway…"

Ichigo couldn’t help but chuckle lightly at Toshiro’s words. _“You’re_ playing it safe? You’ve never played it safe when I’ve seen you. This is a _fight,_ Toshiro. At least, it is to me. I’m fighting for you, now that I know there’s even the remotest chance I can be with you, and I think you owe it to both me and Yukio to fight for us, too.”

"I didn't mean safer for _me…_ I'm just so tired of everyone I care about being hurt because of me. I could live with being miserable if it meant you both stayed safe. But I don't think I _can_ harm you anymore and Yukio is able to make himself invulnerable as well - those are the only reasons I'm willing to consider this…" 

Toshiro took a shuddering breath, unable to stop the words now that he'd begun sharing his concerns, no longer wanting secrets between himself and the man that shared his inner world - it was only slightly easier in that he'd already struggled through a similar conversation with Yukio after one of his night terrors. "The last two times I became close to another, they became the targets of others, tricked into turning their swords on me. One of those people was someone I considered a sister, and she's still suffering while I'm powerless to help her. The second was my first real friend, and he was murdered for his connection with me. 

"I nearly killed the woman who took me in when I awoke in Rukongai with my Reiatsu without even knowing I was hurting her. The only father figure I ever had vanished just as I'd finally come to accept him in that role in my life. I clung to Ran for a time after that until I realized, of the two of us, I would need to become Captain. I pushed her away, forced myself to be strong, to be what my Squad needed. I know that hurt her but I _can't_ lean on her - _I'm_ her Captain, it wouldn't be right to burden her, especially after everything she went through with Gin… And I was too blind to see how much she was hurting. 

"She deserves so much better than me - I can't help thinking that way about you and Yukio as well. It's difficult for me to not be pessimistic that you two will have any better luck with getting close to me… I never wanted to hurt anyone I - I just don't want to be alone…"

Ichigo listened to every word, but still his determination stood firm, and he brought both hands to Toshiro’s narrow shoulders, resilient amber eyes not leaving despairing teal. “I understand having a painful past. I really do. But that just makes me want to fight _harder_ to keep what I love - and _who_ I love. Pushing people away _still_ hurts them, but I’m not going to let you do that to me or Yukio. You _can’t_ physically hurt either of us, and you know that. But if you leave us both with the thought that you’re trying to _protect_ us from something, you _are_ going to hurt us both. So don’t push us away, and don’t let all those what-ifs stop you from helping us figure this out. _Please,_ don’t give up before you even try,” he pleaded.

Toshiro took a deep breath, his eyes slipping closed as he nodded, "Alright, Ichigo. I won't give up - I'll try. I just… I really don't want Yukio hurt by this… But if you think it will work out, I _will_ try - you always seem to manage the impossible so I'll trust your instinct."

“I think it’ll work out, or else I wouldn’t have suggested it,” Ichigo replied with a wide grin. He laughed quietly, though, and squeezed Toshiro’s shoulders as he added, “You started calling me Ichigo.”

Toshiro opened his eyes, his expression equal parts vulnerable and soft as he replied, "I suppose I did."

“Does that mean I’m off the hook for calling you Toshiro?” Ichigo asked, still smiling. He never thought he would ever stop if Toshiro kept looking at him like that, his constant guard finally shattered.

Toshiro blushed, responding, "I honestly think at this point, you calling me anything else would sound wrong. I became used to it a long time ago. I mostly correct you out of habit and principle but… I actually always loved that you would call me by my first name when no one else would dare - that you treated me like a friend from the first day we met and wouldn't _allow_ me to fully distance myself from you. I needed that - needed someone as stubborn as you to thaw out my heart… And kind enough to take care of it."

“I spent a lot of my life _feeling_ alone even when I wasn’t… So, seeing how alone you _actually_ were - it made me care about you. No one deserves that, especially not someone like you, someone that thinks they’re being the hero by keeping themselves away from everyone else. That’s bullshit. You’re hurting yourself along with everyone else that’s trying to help you when you do that. I’m glad you’re finally letting me in, Toshiro,” Ichigo said softly. Amusement lit up his eyes, though, as he whispered, “And you’re even more adorable when you blush.”

Teal eyes narrowed, his arms crossing, each hand slipping into the opposite sleeve though there was no real heat as he responded, "I am _not_ adorable."

Ichigo laughed, full and loud, as he pulled Toshiro to him by his grip on his shoulders, wrapping his arms around his small body and holding him against his chest. “You are, too, and there’s nothing you can say to change my mind. But I love it, so that’s okay,” he said, taking a deep breath and reveling in the feeling of having Toshiro in his arms.

Toshiro smiled, loving the sound of Ichigo's bright laughter. He leaned into his chest, able to hear his heart beating as he rested his ear above it. He closed his eyes, feeling like he _belonged_ here. Feeling safe and protected - just as when Yukio held him. He sighed, softly saying, "I really should return to Yukio soon… He's probably becoming concerned…"

Ichigo loosened his hold just enough to look down at Toshiro, his eyes kind and his smile bright. “I would say I’d stay here and practice maintaining jinzen - I’ve been here forever, seriously - but I think _those_ two had plans we interrupted,” he said, nodding toward the two zanpakuto spirits. 

Toshiro’s lips turned upward as he lightly chuckled, "I'm sure they can pull us both back here at some point while we're asleep after they're done. I'll need to tell you what Yukio says." That he may need the knowledge that Ichigo was waiting on him to actually follow through with speaking to the Fullbringer he kept to himself. 

Ichigo tightened his arms around him again before releasing him completely, not pushing him away - because he certainly wanted to keep him there as long as he could - but giving him the option to stand. “Really, the fact that I know you’ll be waiting here with news when I go to sleep is probably the only reason I _will_ sleep tonight. All this excitement is going to try to keep me up,” he said with a grin.

Toshiro smirked, "And somehow _I'm_ the adorable one?" 

Ichigo laughed. “Hey, I’ll take that compliment, unlike _some_ people,” he teased.

Toshiro very nearly stuck out his tongue before he smothered the impulse, blushing a bit as he rearranged himself back into a seiza position, grumbling, "I'm leaving now." He quickly turned towards their zanpakuto spirits, nodding farewell before giving Ichigo a half-hearted glare as he closed his eyes, saying, "See you soon."

Ichigo settled with his legs crossed, the same way he had begun meditation. “See you soon, Toshiro,” he replied quietly. He briefly looked at the two spirits, saying, “See you guys,” before closing his own eyes to the snow-laden, sideways cityscape.

* * *

Toshiro had been in meditation for a while, _much_ longer than any other time he had done this. Yukio was becoming a bit restless, but he didn’t want to leave the room. He actually barely wanted to move from where he was sitting on the edge of the bed next to Toshiro. He knew he _could,_ but still he wasn’t really all that familiar with what actually happened when Toshiro did this, so he was hesitant to do anything that might disturb him. 

All this time, though, allowed Yukio’s thoughts far too much freedom to roam. He knew why Toshiro had insisted on doing this. It was rather obvious anyway. He was stressed, though the reason for _that_ was a mystery. All Yukio knew was that Toshiro had been waking more often in the middle of the night, breathing heavily and all but clinging to him as icy Reiatsu seeped out of him. It was a good thing he was nearly recovered, because the episodes weren’t as draining as they had been before. 

Still, it was more than worrisome. Yukio was concerned that it was something he had done, but with the way Toshiro didn’t want to let him go when he came out of a disturbed sleep, that couldn’t be it. This wasn’t the first time, and he knew Toshiro had more to worry about than him - he had an entire Division to take care of. Perhaps it was work-related and he just didn’t want to talk about it. Whatever the case was, Yukio hoped Hyourinmaru had been able to help, as Toshiro said he usually could. He figured he was about to find out, though, as the Captain finally stirred a bit, his slow, steady breathing sharpening a bit as he returned to reality.

Teal eyes opened to find concerned, fond emerald and Toshiro nearly cried. How in the world was he supposed to do this? Before he became aware of his own actions, Toshiro moved to initiate the comforting contact with Yukio he'd come to rely upon, tucking his nose against his neck, leaning against his chest, his arms wrapping around his lower back as he breathed in Yukio’s familiar scent. 

Yukio was a bit shocked, but didn’t deny him contact, wrapping his arms around Toshiro and pressing his cheek against his hair. “Is… everything okay, Toshiro?” he asked in a tentative whisper.

"Just… There's a lot I need to tell you… And I'm worried about how you'll react," Toshiro whispered, tightening his hold. He desperately didn't want to lose this easy comfort and companionship he had found in Yukio but he'd told Ichigo that he'd _try,_ that he wouldn't just give up, that he'd talk to him. He knew that by telling Yukio that, the other wouldn't let him go until he said what he needed to - no matter how long that took. 

Yukio ran a gentle hand up and down Toshiro’s back. “You won’t know until you tell me, I guess. I’m listening,” he said quietly. He couldn’t guarantee either way _how_ he would react to something he knew nothing about. It was odd, Toshiro saying something like that after coming from his inner world, but it must have had something to do with _him,_ or else he figured Toshiro wouldn’t have reason to be so concerned about his reaction.

Toshiro took a deep, steadying breath, smiling as Yukio’s calming, familiar scent filled him. His voice was low but he knew Yukio could hear him perfectly as he said, "I suppose I should start from the beginning. You already know that I'd hoped to speak with Hyourinmaru, but he was _occupied_ when I arrived in our inner world. Ichigo appeared there as well, maybe a minute or so after me. It was him that I spoke with, mostly, after he recovered from the shock of seeing our zanpakuto spirits together," Toshiro said with a fond chuckle, still remembering his expression. 

Yukio was already quite confused. “Wait… together? They’ve both been there, right? Why was that so shocking?” he asked, not piecing together what could be so surprising about them both being there. 

Toshiro chuckled, "I was pretty shocked at first as well, seeing Hyourinmaru half undressed and making out with an equally half-dressed Tensa."

Yukio’s eyes widened, and he knew his arms had tensed a bit around Toshiro. _“Oh,_ you mean together like _that._ But… how - I mean - never mind. I probably don’t want to know. Go ahead,” he said with a rather flustered sigh.

Toshiro leaned back, looking up at him with a grin as he asked, "Did you seriously just ask _how?"_

Yukio fervently avoided his eyes, knowing by now he had to be blushing. “Hey, I don’t even know what either of them look like. How is a completely reasonable question. Just - go ahead,” he insisted.

Toshiro’s grin only grew, allowing this to give him a much needed distraction from the more worrisome details he needed to inform Yukio of. "Tensa is about a half foot taller than you with your build, thin with strong but lean and lightly toned muscles. He has shoulder length hair as white as mine but wavy. He has two different colored eyes; the right is a piercing blue while the left has a gold iris and black, sclera. He has a hollow mask fragment above that eye with a black horn that extends forward past his left cheek. 

"Hyourinmaru is Ichigo's height but has a larger, broader build. Each of his muscles in human form are well defined. He has exceedingly long teal hair and icy silver eyes - his coloring an inverse to my own. When he's a dragon, his entire body is a serpentine, icy blue with large ruby red eyes and giant, impressive wings," Toshiro informed Yukio dutifully, loving the blush that had steadily spread across his handsome face. "Now you know what they look like - and Hyourinmaru was in his human form the entire time I was there." 

Yukio was biting his bottom lip, only releasing it when he realized Toshiro was finished with his descriptions. “As… fascinating as that all is, I honestly just had no idea if they were both anything like a human. From what I gather, they are. So, _go ahead,”_ he pressed, really exasperatedly trying to change the subject from his own ignorance. 

Toshiro chuckled, settling comfortably against him again. "We all talked for a bit - apparently hollows mate and Hyourinmaru mated with Tensa. He has a bonding mark now on his neck where Hyourinmaru bit him and Hyourinmaru is able to use it to send him emotions when he's in direct contact with it." Toshiro was still legitimately fascinated by that, wondering if such information was even known by anyone else in Soul Society. 

Yukio shook his head, his brow furrowing as he looked down at Toshiro. “They _mated?_ Like animals? The way it sounds, with the biting and all, it was all probably quite feral. I mean, were they just _alone_ long enough and jumped each other? It doesn’t sound very… _loving,”_ he said, not necessarily critically but very much still in shock that they were even _talking_ about this.

Toshiro smiled, "They're actually incredibly sweet together and I can feel from both of their Reiatsu that they're very deeply in love with one another. The mating isn't that surprising as Hyourinmaru actually _is_ a dragon - he just has a human form he can take - and Tensa is half hollow. So they both have strong animalistic instincts. Feral or not though, they are definitely in love and adorable together," Toshiro said fondly. "I'm so happy for Hyourinmaru - he's always been alone when I'm not there and I could feel how completely at peace Tensa makes him."

Yukio couldn’t help but mirror Toshiro’s smile, just seeing such joy and fondness on his gorgeous face bringing him quite a bit of joy himself. “I’m glad. But I don’t think you wanted to talk to me about the zanpakuto spirits mating,” he said gently, not wanting to see the peace fall from Toshiro’s face but feeling that it was a bit inevitable with how he had introduced this conversation.

Toshiro sighed, tucking his nose back against Yukio’s neck. "I'm not sure how to put this delicately, Yukio. Hyourinmaru had to tell Ichigo for me earlier - it's still difficult for me to admit out loud… Just, please don't be angry with me…" He pressed a bit more firmly against him, feeling guilty for doing so, for gaining comfort from him like this but he'd nearly become reliant upon it after so many nights of doing the same, awakening from stressed, fitful sleep with leaking, deadly Reiatsu. 

Yukio sighed, holding Toshiro a bit tighter. Whatever this was, he was bracing himself for the worst. But after everything he and Toshiro had been through now, he was fairly confident that it couldn’t ruin what they had. “I won’t be angry, Toshiro. Please tell me what’s wrong,” he all but begged. He desperately needed to do something to ease this obvious stress, but he couldn’t until Toshiro actually told him what was going on.

"I…" Toshiro tried, his voice failing him before he forced himself to take a calming breath, his voice an unsteady thing as he managed out, "I'm in love with both of you, Yukio - you and Ichigo…" He tightened his grip around Yukio, terrified of losing him. 

Yukio’s arms tensed around Toshiro, really just as a reflex at Toshiro’s reaction to his own words. But it took a solid minute for the words to actually sink in. Toshiro had never even told _him_ that he was in love with him, and now he was spilling that he was in love with him _and_ Ichigo. It was admittedly a lot to process, but he couldn’t say he was _angry._ “I’m not angry, Toshiro,” he assured him first, before his thoughts could run much further. 

As he considered how he really felt about the situation, he began to move his hand up and down Toshiro’s back again, hoping to comfort him through what was sure to be an agonizing silence. “I’m just… in shock, I guess. It’s a lot to take in. I might just need some time to think. I know… I’m in love with you,” he said quietly. 

Toshiro sagged against him in relief, tears threatening as he said he loved him. Toshiro had known that, it had been apparent, but it was still incredible to hear the words, his heart pounding harder within his chest. "There's more, when you're ready," Toshiro whispered, focusing on breathing in Yukio’s scent, nuzzling his nose gently against his neck, sorely tempted to kiss the smooth skin. 

Yukio nodded, figuring it was best to just get all of this out in the open quickly, and process it all at once. “Go ahead,” he replied, putting aside the first bit of information for the moment so he could effectively piece together what Toshiro was telling him. 

"That's what Hyourinmaru had to tell Ichigo _for_ me… And… Ichigo feels the same - he's in love with _both_ of us. He said… If you feel the same… He wants us _all_ to be together, Yukio. Because I can't choose between you - I love you _both,_ it wouldn't be right or fair to do - and Ichigo feels the same…"

“Ichigo… is in love with _me?”_ Yukio repeated, his voice barely above a whisper. It had certainly crossed his mind when they were frequently around one another that he was handsome and kind, but Yukio had honestly just assumed someone like Ichigo would never be interested, so he hadn’t really developed any real interest of his own. But now… actually being forced to consider his feelings toward the man in this context was a bit overwhelming. “Can I… have some time to think about it? I’m not saying no, it’s just… a lot to consider,” he decided. There was no way he was going to be able to make clear-minded choices with everything that was running through his thoughts. 

"Of course, Yukio," Toshiro whispered. He was honestly shocked the blonde was even _going_ to consider it. And he hadn't distanced himself. Toshiro let out a shaky sigh of relief as he traced the tip of his nose against Yukio’s neck, constantly breathing in his scent, resisting the overwhelming desire to kiss him, wanting to respect Yukio’s request for time. 

Yukio practically _felt_ the immense relief in Toshiro’s actions, and a smile came to his lips again. He brought a hand up to cup Toshiro’s cheek, bringing teal eyes up to meet emerald green. “Thank you, Toshiro,” he murmured. “I love you,” he added, immediately bringing his face down to close the distance between them, kissing him gently and allowing nothing but affection to show through his touch. 

Toshiro froze for several long seconds before he moaned against him in even more powerful relief, desire spiking through him. He pressed back, acting with knowledge he wasn't aware he possessed but then, he figured Hyourinmaru had to be rather skilled with kissing by now and there was a bleeding of shared skill between them, even if he didn't access any of the actual memories associated. His tongue swiped against Yukio’s lips, seeking to deepen the kiss without a second thought, whimpering in relief, desire, and love. 

Toshiro’s quick and highly sensual response had heat rising to Yukio’s cheeks, and he rather quickly broke away, a hand on the back of Toshiro’s head directing him to tuck his head again against his neck. He honestly didn’t want to initiate anything too heavy before he had time to consider the apparent situation between the three of them, as it was still plaguing his mind even as he kissed Toshiro. “I’m sorry, Toshiro… I _do_ love you, I promise. I just really need to sort out what we talked about. I’m not sure how I feel about… sharing you. I’ve gotten pretty protective over you, you know,” he said, again running his hand over Toshiro’s back to try to comfort both of them, really. 

Toshiro pressed his lips and nose against Yukio’s neck until his racing heart slowed, moving back slightly to whisper, "Ichigo said… This isn't about _sharing_ \- that we'd all be _equally_ together… But I understand completely, Yukio. I could never ask you to _share_ me with _anyone._ Ichigo would be just as much your partner and lover as mine… The love I feel for him doesn't lessen _at all_ what I feel for you - it's why I've been so torn up over this. If I were to be with him, I'd still love you just as strongly, and the same is true in reverse. I _can't_ be with him, without you. It feels wrong - to be longing for another person when with someone you love - it's not fair to either of you. I… I'm not sure if I'm making any sense here… 

"And I'm sorry if I was too… forward - I'd never even kissed anyone before. I'm not sure what came over me other than some bleed through skill from Hyourinmaru - we do completely share skills and abilities…" Toshiro mumbled, voice trailing off as he blushed heavily, studiously _not_ accessing any of Hyourinmaru's recent memories. He felt like he was rambling but his emotions were strong and all over the place. He wanted Yukio to understand - to see the difference - but he didn't feel like he was doing a very good job. He pressed back into his neck as he trailed off, finding comfort in the fact that Yukio at least still allowed him to be with him in _this_ way, his grip tightening a bit around Yukio's slight body as he grounded himself from all the confusing, conflicting emotions within him. 

Yukio sighed, still attempting to wrap his mind around everything Toshiro was saying. He never wanted to lose Toshiro - to lose _this._ Having this man in his arms was far too important to him, and from what Toshiro was saying, it was equally important to him to keep this as well. Then there was Ichigo to consider. Toshiro felt just as strongly about him, which was becoming less and less odd to think about, the longer Yukio mulled it over in his mind. Still, he was rather tired, and his immediate concern for Toshiro was clouding any clear thought about anything else. 

And had Toshiro said… he shared _all_ of his skills with Hyourinmaru? _That_ conjured quite the mental image. 

“I think… you’re doing a perfectly fine job explaining. I understand. I really do. You really can’t help what your heart wants. This has all just been a lot to take in, so… can I sleep on it and make a decision in the morning? It’s all still just a little overwhelming. I’m definitely _not_ rejecting the idea, though, so I don’t want you to worry. I just don’t want to jump in without really wrapping my head around what I’m agreeing to. I mean, trying to fathom having _two_ partners when I just recently considered having _one_ for the first time is admittedly a lot,” he said with a light laugh. 

Toshiro smiled against his neck - how he _adored_ that laugh - before he pulled away a bit, nodding. "This is alot for me too. I've ignored anything close to relating to desire for so long - I honestly thought being with either of you was hopeless. I'm still…" He sighed, admitting quietly, "Even if you agree, I don't know exactly how to make this work. Ichigo seems to think between the two of us we can figure out a way for you to enter our inner world - impossible doesn't seem to be a concept Ichigo accepts," Toshiro said, shaking his head and chuckling fondly. "His belief in us doesn't actually help me _solve_ such a problem, however. If we can't solve that, I could only be with each of you separately - which _would_ be sharing, and I can't do that to either of you…"

Yukio took a deep breath and rested his cheek on Toshiro’s hair. His mind was already trying to parse out the problem, but with how mentally drained he already was - combined with the fact that it had become quite late without their notice - he didn’t really have the energy to come to a solution. “Ichigo really doesn’t know the meaning of the word impossible. Flattering that he thinks we can just _figure_ these things out,” he chuckled. “And I think we can. Tomorrow,” he added, tightening his arms around Toshiro and turning to kiss the top of his head. 

Toshiro’s eyes fell closed, leaning into the gentle kiss as he whispered, “Tomorrow.” As Yukio withdrew slightly and he opened his eyes again to focus on clearly tired yet warm emerald, he asked, “Would it be asking too much… Will you still stay here with me while we sleep?” 

Yukio smiled, nearly laughing at the timidity in the request. “Of course I will. Why would I not? Knowing all of this won’t change how I want to take care of you, because that’s what sleeping with you is in this context - I’m just taking care of you. And even if you don’t think you need it, I’m still going to do this for you,” he replied. 

Toshiro couldn’t help the smile that lit up his face at the words, warmth and relief spreading through him. “Thank you, Yukio,” he breathed out. He really did love this man. He was so giving to those he cared about, once he actually cared about you. Toshiro couldn’t possibly hurt him. If Yukio decided that he couldn’t be with both of them, Toshiro wouldn’t abandon him. He may long for more with both but he would remain nothing more than friends. He would be alright with that, as long as it meant not losing _this._ And Ichigo would understand. 

He slipped into bed, having changed before performing the jinzen, shifting to his usual side to give Yukio enough room to join him. Teal eyes were as warm and fond as his smile when he reached slightly towards him, offering his hand.

Yukio returned his soft expression with a smile of his own, taking Toshiro’s hand and sliding under the covers next to him. He brought Toshiro’s hand to his lips, kissing the back of it gently before putting his other arm around him and pulling him to him, tucking his smaller body against him and curling himself around him as well as he could, their hands still clasped and rested over his heart. It was such a relief, knowing that Toshiro felt the same love for him that Yukio had for what felt like so long. Taking care of the small Captain had shown Yukio so much about him, being with him behind closed doors this way. There was still much to think about, but for now all that mattered to Yukio was that Toshiro loved him, and the rest would surely fall into place. “Love you, Toshiro. Get some rest,” he whispered, leaning down to kiss his hair. 

Toshiro hummed in contentment, snuggling as close into Yukio’s warm body as he could, whispering in response, “Yes, Yukio, I will. Love you - so much.” He kissed the smooth skin of his neck that his face was pressed against, humming again at how heated Yukio felt against the more sensitive skin of his lips. He realized - when Ichigo had held him, he hadn’t felt _warm._ It was as if they were the same temperature. He knew he didn’t feel cold at all to Yukio, his Fullbring canceling the blonde’s experience of temperature differences, but Yukio _was_ far warmer and _Toshiro_ could feel the difference. It wasn’t uncomfortable at all though, only comforting, like being warped in a nice heated blanket during winter. 

He couldn’t help but wonder… If Yukio _did_ agree - and they succeeded in bringing him into their inner world - would Yukio feel the same way to Ichigo when the larger man held him? Toshiro couldn’t help but imagine Yukio with Ichigo, surprised when the thought caused heat and desire to rush through him as he realized - he _wanted_ them to be together, as much as he wanted them both to be with _him._ He pushed such thoughts aside, however, focusing on the warm, soothing comfort Yukio so lovingly provided, slowly and peacefully slipping into sleep, his mind finally calm. 

* * *

When teal eyes opened again, it was to sideways skyscrapers buried beneath a light snowfall. He sat up from the bank of snow he had appeared upon, amused as the flakes slid off of him, the tiny, fragile crystals remaining intact, his body not warm enough to cause them to melt. Hyourinmaru and Tensa were very close to him, the serpentine body of Hyourinmaru’s dragon form wrapped securely around a clearly relaxed Tensa, fully clothed with his usual white coat. 

He smiled at them, coming over to sit beside Hyourinmaru’s head, his smile widening as the spirit rested and settled himself over Toshiro’s legs, a low rumbling not far off from a purr surfacing as Toshiro fondly caressed his snout and jaw.

Tensa’s expression softened seeing his mate with his master. He knew how close they were but he’d not witnessed this gentle, caring interaction before, something they’d obviously done countless times before, both settling together in such a quick, familiar, practiced way. With the small Captain back, Tensa tugged on his bond with King, pulling him to them as well from a rather _interesting_ dream, if the quick flash of blonde and white hair were any indication, accompanied by a strong feeling of arousal. Tensa only grinned, not the least bit apologetic and highly amused, especially when _he_ was aware that _both_ Hyourinmaru and Toshiro could sense King’s emotions.

Ichigo’s eyes flew open, his breaths still labored and his body trembling. He had no idea just a _conversation_ would have put such images in his mind, and he wouldn’t have been complaining, really, if it wasn’t for the fact that it was so suddenly interrupted. “Damn,” he muttered under his breath, the dream still not quite leaving him, heat still surging through his body when he imagined Yukio and Toshiro locked in a heated kiss, their bare bodies entangled and pressed flush against one another. He didn’t even know what they _looked_ like naked, so he had no idea where his mind was getting these things, but it really didn’t matter. What _mattered_ was that he was well aware of where he was, and he was having a difficult time getting control of himself. 

When he finally looked up, his amber gaze found Tensa first, and he glared at the spirit, who was lounging comfortably against Hyourinmaru’s icy body with a rather satisfied grin on his face. “You’re an ass, you know that?” he snapped, sitting up and burying his face in his hands.

Tensa’s grin grew as he responded, "You wanted me to pull you here as soon as 'Maru's master returned - I was only doing as you asked, you can't possibly be mad at me. Why? Did I _interrupt_ something?" 

Ichigo’s heart stopped when he realized that meant Toshiro was _here._ Seeing him this way. He lifted his face just enough to look over his hands to find Toshiro sitting in the snow, Hyourinmaru’s head in his lap. He thought he might faint, between the feeling of heat in the rest of his body and the blood rushing from his face in pure mortification. With a resigned groan, he rubbed his eyes and lowered his hands, knowing he surely looked more than a bit disheveled. “Shut up, Tensa. It doesn’t matter,” he grumbled, averting his eyes to the snow that was being slightly disturbed by Hyourinmaru’s breaths.

Tensa shrugged, shifting to cross his arms and lean on Hyourinmaru's coils wrapped around him. "I honestly don't think you have anything to worry about, King - Captain's a bit innocent."

Toshiro looked over at Tensa, frowning. He hadn't followed their conversation well and he was a bit concerned about Ichigo - he obviously hadn't been sleeping very peacefully before being pulled here. He patted the top of Hyourinmaru's snout, the dragon lifting his head enough from the silent, familiar request to allow Toshiro to get up. He crossed the distance over to Ichigo, kneeling in front of him. He nearly looked sick. "Are you alright, Ichigo? You didn't look ill before…" 

Toshiro’s sudden proximity _certainly_ wasn’t helping Ichigo calm down, but he made a real attempt to steady his shuddering breaths. “I - yeah, I’m fine. I just - dammit, do you really think I’m _sick?”_ he asked, his voice still strained and unintentionally harsh. 

Toshiro frowned, defensively crossing his arms to place each within the opposite sleeve of his yukata, "Well you do not appear _fine_ \- what am I supposed to think?" 

Ichigo closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers. Toshiro seriously knew _nothing_ about this kind of thing. Granted, Ichigo didn’t have experience, but he at least would have known what someone looked like when they were turned on. Patience certainly was not his strong suit, but he had to summon a bit as he gathered the words to explain. “I was… having a dream - about…” he huffed a bit as his voice failed him, dropping his hand and opening his eyes to meet concerned teal. “Are you really sure you want to know? Honestly, this is embarrassing,” he admitted.

Toshiro reached out, taking his hand, "If it's bothering you and affecting you this much, I want to know, Ichigo. I have night terrors myself, and it usually helps me to talk about them - with Hyourinmaru or Yukio - so I understand how real dreams can seem, how they can affect you. You don't have to feel embarrassed at all."

Ichigo sighed, honestly completely endeared by just how innocently worried Toshiro was for him. He still had to look away, though, not finding Tensa’s smug grin to be much distraction - really, more causing frustration to rise in him for getting him into this in the first place - so he looked out into the endless snowscape, his voice quiet as he said, “I was dreaming about you… and Yukio. Together… kinda - well, doing _intimate_ things. Kissing and… other stuff.”

Toshiro flushed at his words, quietly saying, "Oh…" He immediately wondered, with the way they were connected and how he could feel Ichigo's strong emotions even when not in their inner world… Could Ichigo receive the same? His physical interaction with Yukio hadn't been at all heated but still… He couldn't help but think it was too much for it to be coincidence that Ichigo had dreamed such a thing the same night Yukio had kissed him… "I'm sorry…"

Ichigo’s mind was finally starting to clear, especially with the rather sudden drop in Toshiro’s expression. “Sorry? Why would you be _sorry_ about that? It wasn’t your fault, for one thing, and it’s not like I didn’t like it,” he said with a chuckle.

Toshiro’s blush increased as he forced out, "I… It might have been my fault… I can feel it when you have extreme emotions, sometimes can even see flashes of what you're doing and - well I told Yukio, like you wanted and - and he…" his voice became more quiet as he spoke before fading entirely, suddenly inexplicably worried that perhaps they'd crossed some line - Ichigo had never said he'd be alright with him kissing Yukio. Granted, he hadn't initiated it, but he was definitely about to make their kiss far less innocent before Yukio stopped him. 

Ichigo’s eyes widened as his thoughts ran wild. If he was seeing what Toshiro was doing… surely not. “I really don’t think I was seeing what you were doing. I mean… that dream went _way_ past just kissing. You didn’t… actually…” his voice lowered considerably, barely a whisper, “Get naked with Yukio, did you?” He certainly hoped not. He knew they were attracted to one another, but he also knew Toshiro cared about _him,_ and the thought that he would do such a thing without any mention or concern for him caused a bit of rejection to clench his heart.

"N-no, of course not - he kissed me. It was sweet, actually… I was so shocked that it took me several seconds before I realized and I… I tried to kiss him back but he pulled away and then held me like he always does," Toshiro rushed to explain, hating even that fleeting look of pain in beautiful amber eyes. "He says he needs time to wrap his head around everything before doing anything all that physical but… He said he loves me… That he's not saying _no…"_

Ichigo had let out the breath he didn’t realize he had been holding, awaiting Toshiro’s response. He brought a hand up to cup Toshiro’s cheek, relief and affection having overtaken that brief spark of doubt and fear. “That’s fine. I’m glad he’s thinking about it. If you want to kiss someone, though, I wouldn’t say no to you kissing me,” he said with a smile.

"But I…" Toshiro whispered, "I shouldn't have even kissed Yukio, not without knowing you'd be alright with that… I didn't think to ask him if he'd be alright with me kissing you - I didn't want to overwhelm him anymore than he already is. I… I _want_ to kiss you, Ichigo but I - I _can't_ hurt him…"

Ichigo’s grin only widened, and he leaned in a bit, touching his nose to Toshiro’s. “Well, Yukio stole a kiss, so I’ll just steal one too. Just one. That alright?” he requested, his breath ghosting over Toshiro’s lips with their proximity. 

Toshiro’s breathing hitched, teal eyes focused on Ichigo's lips as he whispered, "I don't think it's stealing if you ask first…"

That was really all the permission Ichigo needed, and he almost immediately tilted his head to press his lips to Toshiro’s, inhaling sharply at the heat that flooded him at the contact. His exhale was traced with a low hum, and he shifted his hand from Toshiro’s cheek to the back of his neck, his fingers burying in soft white hair. As much as he wanted to, he didn’t dare do more, not really knowing how far Toshiro was willing to take this.

Toshiro melted into him completely, a deep moan escaping from the back of his throat. Heat flooded through him, small hands fisting in the material of Ichigo's shirt over his chest. All thought left him as that same habit that wasn't _his_ but seemed only natural guided him to press back, to part his lips slightly, to trace his tongue along the seam of Ichigo's soft lips. 

Ichigo immediately yielded to Toshiro’s tongue, parting his lips and playfully nipping at Toshiro’s bottom lip before invading the other’s mouth with his own tongue, groaning at the nearly overwhelming desire that was quickly coursing into his blood. He tried to convince himself that this was just a kiss, but something inside him _needed_ this. His actions were rather sloppy, but he truly didn’t care, not allowing himself much thought as he explored Toshiro’s mouth, occasionally withdrawing enough to press teeth into the other’s lip.

Toshiro was slowly becoming a mess. He wanted - _needed_ \- this, could feel Ichigo's desire almost as strong as his own. He wanted to melt into him, wanted Ichigo to be as passionate and forceful as he knew the other to be but his oddly practiced movements were all wrong. This wasn't _him_ \- he was the one guiding when he desperately wanted to be the one consumed and that was enough to jar him out of practiced movements that _he_ hadn't practiced, pulling away from Ichigo as he panted, burying his face against his chest as he attempted to sort through exactly what the hell had happened. 

Ichigo’s heart felt like it might pound right through his ribs as he desperately clung to Toshiro, his arms tight around him as he held him against his chest. “Sorry, I - I didn’t mean… I don’t really know what I was thinking,” he said, his voice strained and his breathing still a bit ragged. He wasn’t lying - he had no idea where all that passionate aggression had come from. But that was one _hell_ of a first kiss.

Toshiro allowed his breathing to return to being mostly under control as his mind raced. He'd done the same thing to Yukio but Yukio had stopped him. It had felt so completely natural to do - like he'd done it countless times before… "It's our zanpakutos," Toshiro stated with certainty. It made sense to him, and having seen them together just several hours before - it had been clear that Hyourinmaru was the dominant one of the pair though Tensa was far from docile. "Skill-sharing and experience bleed-through - they _are_ us, in a way. Without having any experience of our own, we tap into theirs - happens all the time in battle. I guess with this as well…"

Ichigo’s eyes snapped to Tensa at Toshiro’s explanation. “Well, _shit,”_ he groaned. Why was he subjected to the experiences of someone as clearly dynamic and unpredictable as his zanpakuto spirit? Clearly, he didn’t have a passive attitude when it came to passion, though he was always quite subdued with Hyourinmaru. His eyes widened when he realized what that actually _meant,_ and another small wave of desire flooded him at the thought of _Toshiro_ subduing _him._

Toshiro laughed brightly at Ichigo's blunt remark, lifting himself from where he'd all but collapsed into his chest and moving to sit before him upon his knees. "It just means we will have to go more slowly, form our own habits together - like learning a new style of martial art when you are already proficient at one that is vastly different. It is easy to fall into practiced movements but, at least for me, Hyourinmaru's dominating nature just feels false - I _know_ it's not me, not how _I_ would move…"

Ichigo decided against asking what he meant, figuring he would find out eventually and _really_ not needing even more material to fuel his dreams. Still, it was a bit disconcerting that how Ichigo was acting _didn’t_ feel false to him. That amount of heated passion actually _did_ feel natural to him. He shook his head against the thought, though. Surely his own feelings would surface when he actually made the effort to press back the influence of his zanpakuto. “Yeah… I hope Yukio’s okay with all three of us being together, because now I _really_ don’t think I could go without the two of you,” he said thoughtfully. 

"Wha - what do you mean?" Toshiro asked, stumbling a bit over the words, the blush returning to his face. 

Ichigo chuckled at Toshiro’s flustered state. “Come on, between that dream I had and that kiss just now, I’d go crazy if I wasn’t able to actually have you both,” he replied, still smiling at the completely adorable blush staining Toshiro’s cheeks.

"I… I realized earlier - had a thought really that, well - I want to see you two together too…" Toshiro managed out, his face still flush, bright teal eyes averted. 

Ichigo fully laughed at just how embarrassed Toshiro was to admit such a thing, especially after he had pried the same from Ichigo not an hour ago. “I mean, that’s good, really. Because if we’re _all_ going to be together, we should be alright with seeing the other two together, right? It’ll be even better if I get to see you blush every time, too,” he teased.

Toshiro refused to look at Ichigo, but a thought occurred to him as he slowly said, "Yukio… He doesn't have a zanpakuto spirit, doesn't have the shadow experience we have - it's compounded by our spirits being _together,_ the habits we gained from them fitting perfectly together - very difficult to ignore. But neither of us has that same familiarity with Yukio… He could likely help us develop our own style and habits more easily…"

Ichigo held back a chuckle, practically _seeing_ just how many unnecessary thoughts were crossing the prodigy Captain’s mind. He brought a hand to Toshiro’s chin, directing his eyes to him again. “Hey, you’re really overthinking this. It’s _okay,_ Toshiro. We’re going to be us, and they’re going to be them,” he nodded toward the zanpakuto spirits, “and we’re going to all be fine together, you, me, and Yukio,” he assured him, his smile never fading.

Toshiro looked deeply into warm amber eyes at his words, a small smile crossing his face. He shifted closer, moving slowly so Ichigo could follow his movements, settling himself on his lap and leaning into his chest like he always did with Yukio, his arms wrapping around his lower back. Ichigo was too tall for him to press against his neck, his head resting upon his chest instead, hearing his steady heartbeat. He found that to be similarly soothing, listening to Ichigo's heartbeat the same way he loved to breathe in Yukio’s scent, humming as he relaxed against him. “Just so it’s clear - what _are_ you alright with me doing with Yukio?” Toshiro asked quietly. He didn’t want to be with either without far clearer boundaries and he knew both would be honest with him as long as he actually _asked._

Ichigo rested his chin on the top of Toshiro’s head, loving just how well his small body fit against him. He brought his arms up to hold him a bit more firmly against himself, one hand finding its way to run through soft white hair. He didn’t think he would ever hold this man this way, be able to comfort him and feel him _actually_ relax. It was really all he ever wanted for him, as stressed as Toshiro always seemed. 

Ichigo had to actually consider the question Toshiro presented, though, not having really considered it. “I mean, obviously anything either of us has done with you so far is fine. Really, don’t worry about not asking me before he kissed you. Anything else… I’m just not sure. I’d like us to do new things together, when we do more… intimate things,” he replied, shrugging a bit with a sigh. “I’m going to be completely honest - he’s with you all the time, and I don’t want the two of you getting miles ahead of me with anything. And really… I know this is stupid, but… I don’t want you to start liking him more than you like me, just because you’re with him more.”

“Ichigo…” Toshiro said slowly, trying to choose his words before he spoke them, not wanting Ichigo to misunderstand what he was saying, “I’m not sure how aware of this you actually are - I mentioned it a bit earlier but… I feel you, _constantly._ You have such _strong_ emotions, my mind is continually pulled towards whatever you are doing. I don’t always know or understand the cause behind what you’re feeling but I literally can’t ignore you. So even if Yukio is _physically_ with me more, don’t mistake that to mean I think about _you_ less. 

“I’ll be honest with you, Ichigo - I _tried._ I could tell Yukio was slowly coming to care for me, even beginning to love me, and I tried to forget the feelings I had for you - for _him,_ so I could properly return his feelings. But now that we’re connected this way, there’s no way for me to do that. I don’t want to lose our connection, that’s not what I mean. Even before talking with you and agreeing to try this, I still wanted you to be whole and happy more than I wanted to be able to bury how I feel about you. Because I _do_ love you. I can’t hurt you anymore than I can Yukio and you being without your powers would hurt you severely. So don’t worry about us leaving you behind, or me developing stronger feelings for either of you more than the other. I don’t think Yukio is one to move all that quickly anyway - from our kiss earlier _we’re_ going to need to be the ones that are careful with how fast _we_ move,” Toshiro stated with a light laugh.

Ichigo laughed, never having changed his hold on Toshiro. He knew his concern was ridiculous and juvenile, but being separated as they were had always been a hurdle in the possibility of being with Toshiro at all, and knowing that there was someone else who _was_ able to be with him physically the way Ichigo so desperately wished he could be did eat at his mind a bit. “All this connection you feel with me and I’m just as clueless as I ever was. I’m glad, though, that you feel that. It does make me feel better. Now, since we’re going to be here together quite a bit, maybe you could help me sense Reiatsu better, because damn, I’m blind,” he said, chuckling lightly.

Toshiro shook his head, his cheek moving against Ichigo’s chest at the action, “I’m not surprised that you’re awful at it - sensing Reiatsu requires extremely fine control of your own. Your Reiatsu is like the sun, Ichigo. You can’t possibly sense anything else past it, the way you allow it to flow so freely from you. It’s like trying to see the stars in the middle of the day. I can help you with control. I actually have a larger well of Reiryoku than you and my body isn’t mature enough to contain it within me if I don’t restrain it all the time - I had to learn fine control in order to even _touch_ people. If I can harness mine and be skilled with sensing Reiatsu, I know you can, though it did take me several years to actually be good at it.”

“You know, I’d probably already know how if I didn’t have a complicated little shit for a zanpakuto spirit. I bet Hyourinmaru actually _helps_ you, huh? Zangetsu never has wanted to teach me anything unless he got to fight me to do it,” Ichigo said, very blatantly teasing and making the comment very much loudly enough for the other two to hear him.

“Fighting was definitely a perk,” Tensa commented with a sly smile, “But I taught you the only way you really would have understood at the time. You needed results _fast_ King - we didn’t have the luxury of proper training.”

 _“Oh,_ you’re saying you’d teach me now?” Ichigo shot back.

“To sense Reiatsu? I’m barely any better than you. Naw, Captain would be a better choice, King,” Tensa commented, not at all embarrassed by his own lack of skill on the subject, mismatched eyes looking back at him rather lazily as he relaxed against his mate. 

“You could just admit you don’t like helping me. It would save us a lot of this conversation. Obviously you’re pretty occupied these days. Wouldn’t want to take time away from that,” Ichigo said with a wide grin. Really, he was glad he and Tensa had this kind of banter now, able to tease without the uneasy tension the hollow always exuded.

“If I didn’t feel so good right now, I may have taken offense to that. You realize I only know _our_ power. I can teach you how to wield me but the rest of these techniques that shinigami are skilled at - that’s not innate knowledge, King. They have a _school._ They take _classes.”_

“And here I was just thinking you were lazy,” Ichigo replied, taking full advantage of the fact that, had Tensa been even a bit less relaxed, he probably would have initiated a playful fight by now.

“Well, now you know why you’re so shit at kido too - have Captain train you in that while you’re at it,” Tensa shot back, grinning. “Can’t blame me for skipping out on classes and training - you never did go back to hat n’ clogs. He would have tutored you.”

Ichigo groaned quietly even thinking of training with Kisuke. Their friendship was fine, but the man’s methods were… questionable. He couldn’t remember how many times he had legitimately almost died in that basement. “I think I’ll take whatever Toshiro is willing to teach me, thanks. You just stay over there and chill with your dragon,” he said, though he couldn’t help but smile when Hyourinmaru shifted a bit to bring his head to rest across Tensa’s legs, which were spread before him.

Tensa’s grin softened into a fond smile as he reached his hands out to caress Hyourinmaru’s snout and face, his fingers lovingly running over the icy scales. “My dragon,” he said fondly, leaning forward to kiss Hyourinmaru’s cheek just below one large ruby red eye.

Hyourinmaru gave a low, satisfied rumble, and Ichigo turned his attention back to Toshiro. “Funny, I never thought I’d think the two of them were cute separately, but really, I mean, they’re cute together,” he said quietly, chuckling a bit.

Toshiro smiled, tilting his head to look up at Ichigo and then over to their two spirits. “Hyourinmaru can definitely be cute, though it’s more obvious with Tensa. He has always been gentle. He had to be with me - I was so very young when my power awakened. I’ve never been frightened of him, even with all that power at his disposal. I knew he only wanted me to learn and grow, to be able to someday wield his full power myself. I’m still working on it, and I will someday. The largest obstacle I have now is my physical age and maturity. He can force me older, but it’s excruciatingly painful and I honestly hate it.”

Ichigo listened, his eyes still to the two perfectly content spirits settled not far from them. At Toshiro’s words, though, he tightened his arms around him. “He can force you to be older? That _sounds_ painful. But… I mean, how different can it really be? Your body’s already near my age anyway, right? I mean, you’re obviously just not ever going to be as tall as me,” he teased.

Toshiro sighed, “It wouldn’t be all that painful were that true. I’ve hardly grown at all in height since I was physically eleven. I won’t actually hit my growth spurt until I’m physically very late teens, closer to nineteen. Hyourinmaru has to age me to twenty four to be fully grown. At that age I’m exactly one centimeter less in height to you.”

Ichigo pulled back a bit to fully look down at Toshiro, amber eyes wide trying to imagine the small man in his arms actually being nearly as tall as he was. As mature as he was mentally, he really did forget sometimes just how young he _looked,_ because he more than made up for it in intelligence and power. “That’s a lot, I’m assuming very suddenly. No wonder it hurts. And really, as much as I’ve gotten used to how you look now, it’s just hard for me to imagine,” he admitted with a light laugh.

Toshiro considered for a moment, “I can understand how that would be difficult to imagine - I honestly can’t imagine Yukio at your height either. Hyourinmaru had me train that form at least once each month, though he’s given me the past couple off as I’ve recovered my Reiryoku. I could always practice here the next time he wants me to. It’s not quite the same as training in my body but if you or Tensa - or even both - were willing to spar with me, it’d make it worth it. I can’t usually spar with anyone in that form, I freeze everyone I touch automatically. Then you could see for yourself.”

Ichigo perked up a bit at the suggestion. “I’d lose miserably, and I know it, but I’d spar with you. I’m not too worried about seeing your other form, really, but you had to know I was going to take the chance to fight,” he said with a wide grin.

“Captain said both of us, King!” Tensa called over. “And I ain’t losin’!” His golden eye glowed a bit more at the prospect of fighting against the Captain at his full strength, the hollow part of him anticipating the challenge with hunger.

Ichigo actually laughed, full and loud. “You _really_ think you can beat the _Captain_ that wields _that_ zanpakuto?” he asked, nodding toward Hyourinmaru. 

Tensa shrugged, “Not like his ice can hurt me. And we’re faster, King. Our bankai specializes in speed. So I like our odds. That is - if you don’t throw the fight ‘cause you’re too busy staring at him,” Tensa teased.

Ichigo shook his head with a chuckle. “I’m just wondering if that mark is going to do anything to _you,_ you know. Might not be a good idea to clash with your _mate,”_ he realized, actually curious how their bond would affect a fight.

Tensa sighed, saying slowly, “I wouldn’t be ‘clashing with my _mate’,_ \- we’d be fighting Captain, _here._ And I’m not bonded to him, I’m bonded to ‘Maru. ‘Maru and I can’t hurt each other at all - we couldn’t even before we mated. The merging of your inner worlds entwined us in a way that has us in constant contact with one another’s power and so we’re immune to being damaged by it - if that hadn’t occurred your inner worlds would have been ripped apart instead of seamlessly combining. 

"But you and Captain _wield_ our power - you’re not a part of it the way we are, so _you_ can still be damaged by it. Well, as damaged as you _can_ be in your inner world, which really isn’t much. Enough to decide the winner of a spar. Anyway - as long as ‘Maru doesn’t participate, my mark shouldn’t do anything to me. Captain is no more my mate than you are ‘Maru’s - doesn’t work that way, King, even if you are our respective masters.”

“You don’t have to be so patronizing about it. I don’t know about this stuff. With you technically being part of me, and same with Toshiro and Hyourinmaru, it complicates things. Same power anyway. You know this stuff just confuses me. You could’ve just left it at ‘it won’t be a problem’ and it would’ve meant the same to me,” Ichigo shot rather defensively.

"Oh, so now you _don't_ want me to teach you," Tensa said with a grin. 

“Not with that tone of voice I don’t. Little shit, just like I said,” Ichigo teased. 

Tensa shrugged, "Can't say I don't teach you anything at least. And I can't control my tone all that well with trying to speak through a hollow scream, King. I'm happy I can sound remotely human."

Ichigo shook his head, still smiling. Really, he was glad that his zanpakuto spirit had achieved the balance he now had. He had always found his other versions - the old man, the hollow, and even Tensa alone - to be either much too serious or much too unpredictably wild, but this merged state was the perfect balance between the two, and with Hyourinmaru only further mellowing him when necessary, it was actually pleasant to spend time with him. 

He leaned down to kiss Toshiro’s hair, saying, “Alright, I guess you get a shot at Tensa first. I wouldn’t want to rob him of a fight if you can’t maintain that form for two rounds.”

Toshiro smirked, "I could just fight you both at the same time."

Ichigo’s eyes widened when he realized Toshiro was absolutely serious. Really, it was the only way either of them was going to have a chance anyway. “Well, Tensa? I’m only fighting him together if you swear you won’t try to take shots at me,” he said, his voice tame and serious. 

Tensa frowned, "Even before we combined the hollow had more honor than that, King."

Ichigo had to splutter a laugh at that. “I remember him a bit differently, but I guess he’s in there somewhere, so I’ll have to take your word for it,” he replied. Really, the hollow alone had more than given him the creeps, so most of his actions were stained with the general impression Ichigo had of _hollows._ “Fine, we’ll fight together. Maybe we’ll have a chance,” he added, smiling down at Toshiro.

Toshiro, however, was concentrating on Tensa, feeling the dip in the other's emotions from his Reiatsu and Hyourinmaru's underlying concern. The spirit didn't look nearly as excited - he seemed almost… sad. "Tensa?" Toshiro called to him, the mismatched eyes focusing on him. "What's wrong?" 

"Nothin' I didn't already know, Captain - I'm fine. 'Sides, I got 'Maru," Tensa said, grinning, though the expression didn't really touch the sadness in those brightly colored, mismatched eyes. 

Hyourinmaru moved his head up to nuzzle his snout into Tensa’s body, but he turned slightly to watch Ichigo, knowing he was clueless to the Reiatsu flowing through their inner world, and thus likely oblivious to Tensa’s emotions. 

Ichigo followed Toshiro’s eyes, and was a bit confused by Tensa’s suddenly downcast expression and just how evasive his words were. As if he didn’t think they were actually friends. “Tensa, I… What did I say?” he asked quietly. 

Hyourinmaru knew he was likely to need to be the go-between, as he had been for his master. He and Tensa had spoken at length about Ichigo’s apparent disgust for Tensa’s hollow side, and clearly the young man had no idea just how much that wounded his zanpakuto spirit. “Ichigo, Tensa did not choose to be half hollow - that power simply makes up half of who he is due to circumstances no one could have controlled. When you imply that the hollow is undesirable, dishonorable, or anything of the like, you are speaking to _all_ of Tensa’s being. He can no more separate his power from the hollow as I can stop needing to take on my dragon form. It is a part of who he is, and you seem to be ashamed - repulsed, even - by that. Do you understand how deeply that damages his emotions?” Hyourinmaru asked, his voice low and calm, but highly defensive. If Ichigo _could_ sense Reiatsu, he would have felt the overwhelming protectiveness that had overshadowed much of Hyourinmaru’s energy. Being that he couldn’t, though, the dragon had to rely on his words to get through to him.

Ichigo’s gaze softened a bit, but his mind had always warred with the fact that part of his power originated from a hollow. Accepting that part of him had been difficult, to say the least, and he still felt that he had reason to be wary of the hollow within. He gave a resigned sigh, though, his eyes dropping to the snow for a moment before coming back up to Tensa. “I guess I really didn’t understand. Sorry… You’ve really never hurt me,” he said quietly, trying to offer Tensa a half smile.

Tensa shook his head, "'Course not, King. My entire purpose is to protect you, to make you strong, to do the things you won't to keep you alive. The hollow isn't _in here somewhere_ \- he _is_ me. We merged. I'm not suppressing him - I can't. When I speak, we _both_ are speaking, _together._ When I act, it's in complete cooperation and agreement with him. Nothing is separate. We're in balance because our goals are completely aligned, as they've always been: 

"To protect you. 

"He was with you first, you know. You were born with him, and protecting you has always been his only real meaning. I know you hate hollows and I don't blame you King. _I_ hate them - both parts of me. 

"She was our mother too… 

"I'm different though, the hollow isn't the same, isn't remotely like the one that devoured Mother. I know that now. The hollow hated himself for so long, being the same type of creature as that monster, being unable to save Mother, unable to protect you from that pain. I've only just started to heal that self-loathing with 'Maru's help. Because… I know he loves _all_ of me - and anything 'Maru loves can't be evil…"

For as long as he had been aware of Zangetsu’s presence, none of his forms had ever spoken to Ichigo at such length or with such emotion. This merged state really _was_ the purest combination of all of his power and intentions. Ichigo sighed, the memories that were brought to the forefront bringing a slight sting to his own heart. But he knew that was nothing compared to what he had just done to Tensa - a being that was _part of him._

“I’m sorry, Tensa, really. That’s… all I can say, really, until I prove it to you, I guess. I’ve spent too long rejecting this part of me, taking jabs at you like it shouldn’t matter because you’re part hollow. I never thought of it that way, that you actually care about the same things I do. But you really have always protected me, and I haven’t been grateful _at all._ So… thanks. You’ve actually saved my life a few times, and I’ve never said that. Thank you,” he said genuinely.

"Thank you… I - I don't really need gratitude, though it's nice to hear…" Tensa said softly, "I don't call you King to mock you or as some joke - that's what you are to me. I live to serve and protect you. Saving you - you don't need to thank me for following through on my reason for existing. I just… I don't want you to hate me - or fear me… That's all… I don't want to feel like I'm a burden to you… Please don't reject me, King…" 

Tensa’s voice had become less and less human as he spoke, the heavy emotions he'd tried to shrug off and ignore taking their toll, unable to _stop_ voicing them once he'd started. He looked longingly at his King, just wanting to _be wanted._ King had been so happy when they reunited but he'd quickly fallen back into old habits, as if the past eighteen months hadn't happened. He'd thought King wanted him. But he couldn't _believe_ King wanted him until he _really_ accepted that he _was_ the hollow. That they were the same. He wanted King to understand that and still want him, trust in him, _love_ him. 

Like he'd always loved him. 

As much as the warbled tone of Tensa’s voice made his skin crawl, Ichigo heard the _words_ and suddenly he knew what Hyourinmaru was trying to tell him. He really didn’t understand anything. He didn’t understand just how much he was breaking down Tensa by keeping his distance, never really trusting him, doubting every one of his actions when all he wanted to do was protect him. The way Tensa was looking at him, like there was some insurmountable chasm between them, actually made Ichigo’s heart clench in his chest. 

Guilt. That was what this was. He had always felt the need to make things right with everyone in his life… except his own zanpakuto spirit. 

So, he slid Toshiro from his lap and stood, crossing the short distance between them, eyeing Hyourinmaru a bit nervously as he did so. The dragon seemed to read his intentions, though, and moved his head off of Tensa’s lap, instead resting it next to him, still in contact. Ichigo knelt next to Tensa, sitting on his knees so closely that his legs were against Tensa’s. Amber eyes flicked between mismatched blue and gold, and he reached out slowly, resting a hand on the fragmented hollow mask above Tensa’s left eye. Despite the fact that he couldn’t really sense the Reiatsu through the contact, it still caused a tingle to run through his hand just knowing that this part of Tensa was the physical manifestation of the hollow part of his power. “I’m _sorry,_ Tensa,” he whispered.

Tensa shuddered at the contact, a few tears escaping from the glowing, golden eye. With King touching the hollow fragment, it felt like he was touching his heart and he knew it would be impossible for King to lie to him while doing so - he'd immediately know. King really was sorry - but… "Don't - you don't have to be sorry or feel guilt…" Tensa whispered, leaning into his touch upon the fragment. He felt completely unguarded and exposed, the fragment being the most vulnerable part of his being, and he was trembling, trusting his King not to damage it - not to hurt him. 

Ichigo shook his head, his mouth turned down in a bit of a grimace. “Yes, I do. I have to _be_ sorry and guilty and I have to tell you that I am, because I hate that I did this to you - to _us._ I hate that I was too blind and selfish to see that you’re _not_ evil, but I was treating you like you were. I’m really not good at all this. Words haven’t ever really been easy for me. But I’m going to try, because I don’t want to see you look at me like you just did ever again.

“I don’t hate you. I never really have… I just - I hate hollows, and I couldn’t make the separation. I get it now. You’re _not_ just another hollow. You’re part of me, and the hollow is part of you, and all you’ve _ever_ done is protect me. I _can’t_ hate you or fear you,” he began, taking a breath to calm himself from the emotions that were threatening to take over. He shifted to lean toward Tensa, bringing his head down to rest it on Tensa’s shoulder, his hand still lightly pressed to the hollow mask. 

“It’s okay, Tensa. I won’t reject you anymore. You’re _not_ a burden to me… you’re my _friend,”_ Ichigo murmured, bringing his other arm around Tensa’s waist. The closeness with Tensa and the confession of the heavy _truth_ in Ichigo’s words made his heart feel impossibly light, like he had been holding onto this for _years_ and never realized just how much it was affecting him, which he likely had. Having it in the open now, though, admitting that he had been wrong and accepting this part of himself that he had been ignoring at best - insulting at the worst - just made him feel free.

Tensa couldn't stop trembling, _feeling_ the truth of the words in his heart from King's contact with the hollow fragmented mask. The touch was sending so many emotions through him that he was completely overwhelmed. None of the emotions were negative though, a mixture of relief, joy, acceptance, peace, and _belonging._ He was something more than a parasite to his King - 

He was his _friend._

And King _loved_ his friends - would do anything for them. Tears were now continually flowing from his glowing golden eye but he did nothing to stop them. He was entirely frozen in King's hold, completely at his mercy through his gentle touch upon his mask fragment. 

Hyourinmaru was certain Ichigo had no idea how fortunate his chosen contact had been, since he couldn’t actually sense what Tensa was feeling. But, because of that, he also likely didn’t know that Tensa was fairly debilitated in this state, much like he was when Hyourinmaru made contact with the bonding mark on his neck. He brought his head up just a bit, lightly touching Ichigo’s shoulder with the end of his snout. “Tensa can feel everything you are expressing through the mask fragment you are touching. It is a bit overwhelming for him, though not in a negative way. He feels your love and acceptance, and the truth in your words. However, he cannot function well under such an onslaught,” he told him. It was really only meant to be information, not direction, because he was content to allow his mate to rest in his King’s peace for as long as he was willing to give it. He simply didn’t want Ichigo to be concerned if Tensa continued to be unresponsive. 

Ichigo lifted his head a bit, looking up at Tensa, who was as Hyourinmaru had described - completely overwhelmed by emotion. “Sorry, Tensa,” he whispered, shifting his hand gently off of the mask to instead thread his fingers in wavy white hair. “Are… are you alright?” he asked, removing his hand from his hair to wipe the tears from Tensa’s cheek.

"Yes, King," Tensa breathed out, pressing against his hand, both eyes falling closed. "The mask is the hollow's heart, and thus mine as well. It's the most vulnerable part of me and cannot be deceived. I _needed_ to hear that, King, _while_ you were in contact with the mask so that I couldn't deny the sincerity of your words. I was overwhelmed but that's alright. I need it sometimes, need all the negative emotions drowned out of me to actually hear the truth. I know you do care about me now King, that you love me. I've _always_ loved you and… being _worthy_ of and _receiving_ your love is all I've ever wanted…"

Ichigo was actually a bit shocked when Tensa all but rested his face in his hand, but he smiled at the immense relaxation in his expression when his eyes slowly fell shut. “You’ve always been worthy… It just took me this long to realize that. I _do_ love you, Tensa. Saying anything less would be a lie,” he said softly.

Tensa smiled, completely happy. He felt like he had found a piece of himself that was essential, vital, but missing until this moment. It was his King's acceptance and love and - now that he had it, knew what he'd been missing and felt how _right_ it made him feel, he never wanted to lose this. He thought back to their separation, knowing it would have been far more painful if he'd had this connection and acceptance back then. No wonder his mate had been so desperate to comfort his master the night they'd met if he felt like _this_ towards the Captain. He knew, without a single doubt, he'd do anything for King to keep his love and acceptance.

Ichigo’s smile never did falter as he saw the genuineness of the joy in Tensa’s expression. He slowly moved his hand from Tensa’s cheek, bringing both arms around him and hugging him tightly before pulling back a bit. “I’m going to go back to Toshiro now, if that’s okay. Unless you want me to stay here,” he said, really not wanting to abandon Tensa but also wanting Toshiro close.

Tensa nodded, "I'm good, King - better than I've ever been, really." He reached out to lightly caress the icy scales upon the side of Hyourinmaru's face, his mate having remained supportive and near the entire time. 

As Ichigo backed away to rejoin Toshiro, Hyourinmaru took his place again with his head in Tensa’s lap, giving a pleased sigh as his mate continued to run his hand over the smooth icy scales on his face. He really couldn’t help it, feeling such joy and peace in Tensa’s Reiatsu, and he moved just enough to bring the tip of his tail around Tensa’s shoulder to just barely contact the mark on his neck, reminding him just how incredibly loved he was - by his King _and_ his mate.

Tensa gasped, leaning forward to rest against Hyourinmaru's large head, his hands trembling as he moaned out, "'Maru…" He went limp again with complete peace, nuzzling his right cheek against icy scales, carefully avoiding touching him with the hollow horn as he breathed out serenely, "Love you, 'Maru… My dragon… My mate… Mine…"

Ichigo settled back down in the snow, pulling Toshiro back into his lap as he watched Tensa completely melting against Hyourinmaru, smiling at the sight and the small words he was uttering, seemingly without even realizing he was. He looked down at Toshiro after a moment, though, saying a bit apologetically, “I guess we had some talking to do.”

Toshiro smiled, tilting his face upwards and leaning to gently kiss the side of his cheek before settling against him comfortably again, saying softly, "I'm glad you've repaired your bond. Tensa needs you, as Hyourinmaru does me, and we need them in return. They are a part of us. If you are at odds with your zanpakuto spirit, it is impossible to be at peace with yourself. How do you feel now?" Toshiro could tell, of course, but he wanted Ichigo to fully realize the difference.

Ichigo took a moment, really searching his own heart and only finding those same emotions that had overtaken him when he had finally given Tensa the acceptance he had always wanted. “Light, free, happy… kind of _whole,_ in a way,” he replied, having a bit of difficulty really articulating what he was feeling.

Toshiro nodded, smiling and curling further into him, his arms wrapping around his lower back and his ear finding its spot over Ichigo's heart. He relaxed into him, humming in contentment, truly happy for him and reveling in being able to be close to him in this way. 

Ichigo took a deep, calming breath, closing his eyes for a moment to really _feel_ this closeness, something he never thought he’d feel with Toshiro, the man always seeming so distant. “Love you, Toshiro,” he whispered, the words really surfacing before he even decided whether he actually wanted to say them.

Toshiro nuzzled his cheek into Ichigo's chest as he responded quietly, "Love you too, Ichigo. And… Thank you. No matter what Yukio decides - I'm glad you didn't let me just give up. I'm happy to be in your arms this way. You both… You make me feel so _safe,_ like I can actually relax, let go of responsibility for a while, and that's okay…" He turned slightly to kiss Ichigo's chest through the fabric of his shirt, letting out a slight frustrated sound that the material was in the way, though the feeling was fleeting and he blushed as soon as he realized what he'd been doing, feeling rather silly. 

Ichigo looked down at the sound, confused by the contradiction between his calm tone and the seemingly irritated vocalization. “What’s wrong? You don’t have to go anywhere, I’ll let you sit there as long as you want,” he insisted, assuming Toshiro was likely thinking they would need to leave their inner world soon. It was really the only explanation he could think of. 

"It's silly," Toshiro mumbled, sighing in resignation as he just knew Ichigo wouldn't let such an answer stand. "When Yukio holds me this way, I can press against his skin - though I can actually reach his neck so him wearing a shirt has never prevented me from doing so… I'll get over it - it was a silly thing to be frustrated about."

Ichigo laughed quietly, not at _what_ Toshiro had said, but _how_ he had said it. For him to be such a confident Captain, he was very self-conscious otherwise. “You could’ve just said you wanted me to take my shirt off,” he said teasingly, not waiting for a response before sliding his shirt from between them and pulling it over his head, putting it to the side. He settled his arms back around Toshiro, guiding his head to rest back on his chest, the feeling of him against his skin admittedly euphoric in a way that had little to do with sexual arousal. “Better?” he asked, his voice more a satisfied sigh than anything else.

Toshiro had frozen at Ichigo actually _removing his shirt_ just so he could feel his skin upon his face but as he was guided back and felt him, hard and smooth and so close, his eyes fluttered shut at the connection he felt to him this way. "Better," Toshiro responded, nuzzling his cheek against smooth skin and loving the closeness the action brought him, relaxing so much against him that he nearly felt limp, much like Tensa appeared each time Hyourinmaru touched the bonding mark upon his neck. He dimly noted that Ichigo really didn't feel warm to him, but he was solid and _safe_ and Toshiro hummed in contentment. 

Ichigo was so entirely at ease this way, not a single wayward thought interrupting the peace that surrounded them. It wasn’t often that his mind was actually _calm,_ but somehow, with Toshiro with him, it was. He shifted a bit to bring his knees up on either side of Toshiro, his arms still around him and his fingers slowly threading through his hair. Something in his heart was just so deeply _satisfied_ this way, feeling so incredibly protective as he surrounded Toshiro with his body. It was what he always did, though - what he was always meant to do… 

Protect those he loved.


	6. Waning Moon ~ Surrender

**__ **

**_Chapter 6: Waning Moon ~ Surrender_ **

This time  _ Yukio  _ was the one lying awake, still considering what Toshiro - and Ichigo - had proposed. Toshiro was sleeping peacefully, curled adorably into the curve of Yukio’s body as he did every night now. Yukio was just glad that it seemed the pocket dimension that was still set up around the room seemed unnecessary now. Toshiro had actually been  _ happy  _ since confessing his feelings for both of them, and that had been three days ago. Really, that was the main reason Yukio found that he didn’t  _ have  _ to consider too heavily whether or not he could agree to be with both of them. 

The real issue was  _ how.  _

Yukio refused to even give Toshiro hope with his acceptance until he figured out  _ how _ they could all be together. He was fairly certain he had a solution, so that meant today was the day to tell Toshiro. It wasn’t going to be all that difficult, because Yukio knew Toshiro was going to be ecstatic, and just the thought of seeing such joy in his eyes made Yukio smile. 

It hadn’t been a difficult decision to make, really, once the initial shock wore off. Yukio knew Ichigo was kind and caring, and he had always found the young man attractive.  _ Very  _ attractive. What man barely older than himself was really  _ that  _ handsome? Of course Ichigo had caught his eye. And the fact that the Captain he had fallen in love with was in love with the same man? It must have been some kind of fate that had brought the three of them together. And now that Yukio was confident that he could bring them all together physically and really  _ be  _ together, the prospect was actually making him a bit giddy. 

Yukio glanced toward the window not far from the bed. The sky was beginning to lighten, the deep, inky blanket of night interrupted by the first light of the sun. Toshiro would wake soon, always before the sun fully rose now that his strength had returned, and Yukio was eager to tell him everything. 

As Toshiro awoke, he nuzzled further into Yukio’s warmth, like the Fullbringer was his own personal heater. He gently moved his nose against the side of his neck that his face was pressed against before kissing him there gently and lovingly. He was usually the first to awaken but he realized quickly that Yukio wasn't sleepily responding to his gentle touch as he usually did - which meant he was already awake. 

Curious, Toshiro forced himself a bit more awake as well, his voice soft in the morning stillness, "Yukio, everything alright? You've never awoken before me unless I woke you up myself… I didn't, did I?" Toshiro hadn't thought he'd had restless sleep - he'd actually been sleeping sound and peaceful ever since finally being fully honest with both Yukio and Ichigo, that stress lifted from his mind. 

Yukio pulled back a bit to look down into concerned teal eyes, smiling softly. “No, I’ve been awake for a couple hours. I just couldn’t sleep. I’m fine, though,” he assured him, reaching down to kiss his forehead gently. 

"Couple hours?" Toshiro repeated, not all that reassured. "Why couldn't you sleep? I… I'm not keeping you awake, lying on you like this, right?" Yukio had never had a problem sleeping before and had never seemed to mind Toshiro’s weight cuddled into him so the Captain was confused, not wanting Yukio to experience any distress - especially anything that would prevent him from sleeping. 

Yukio laughed quietly, tightening his hold around Toshiro’s small body. “No, it’s not you. I like sleeping like this. I’ve just been thinking, and I was excited to tell you what I was thinking about,” he explained, giving Toshiro a bright smile. 

Concern was replaced with curiosity again in bright teal eyes as he said, "Then tell me already." He adored that smile and he couldn't help his own forming upon his usually calm expression. Yukio brought out expressive, gentle emotion from him in a way no one ever had before, his hand sliding up to thread into his soft golden hair, feeling the fine strands fall through his narrow fingers. 

Yukio leaned into Toshiro’s hand for a moment, giving a contented hum before sitting up, positioning Toshiro in his lap in much the same manner as he was lying on his chest. He couldn’t help that he was still smiling, probably happier than he had ever been in his life, as he looked down at Toshiro. “I’ve decided I’m saying yes - to both you and Ichigo,” he said softly. 

Toshiro stilled at the words, shock and happiness and  _ relief  _ coursing through him. When he moved, it was to wrap his arms around Yukio, hugging him tightly, his mouth finding that familiar spot on his neck to press his lips against and breathe in his scent. He found himself starting to repeatedly kiss him there, compulsively, murmuring out between each gentle press of soft lips, "Thank you - Yukio - I love you - so, so much - I'm just - I'm so  _ happy  _ \- I - I've never - wanted anything - more - love you -" 

Yukio laughed at Toshiro’s sudden actions, but he could  _ feel  _ the pure joy in his touch. He would have done anything to make this man  _ this  _ happy. “I love you, too, Toshiro. It really wasn’t a hard choice to make, once I actually thought about it. I got to know Ichigo a bit when he was with Xcution, I just never thought… I mean, he’s ridiculously handsome, and incredibly kind. I kept my distance, though, thinking someone like him - older and so much more attractive than me - could never think that way about me. 

“So, the thought of being with him isn’t really new to me, it was just overtaken when I started falling in love with you. I just figured it would never happen. So it took me a bit to realize you were really offering me something I had all but forgotten I wanted. And I get to have  _ both  _ of the people I’ve had feelings for,” Yukio said, his voice a bit reminiscent as he remembered his brief time with Ichigo. 

Toshiro smiled, moving to cup Yukio's face gently with both hands as he looked fondly and determinedly into beautiful emerald eyes, "Ichigo may be a year older than you, but he isn't more  _ attractive.  _ You're both gorgeous, in contrasting ways, perhaps, but I find you both beautiful, Yukio. Please - never think that, or at least, know that  _ I  _ don't think that."

Yukio smiled, his face flushing a bit with Toshiro’s compliments. “Thank you… I guess - and I know this isn’t something I should be telling  _ you  _ \- I’ve always thought because I’m so short and skinny there’s no way anyone could think I’m actually attractive  _ that  _ way, and not just  _ cute,”  _ he admitted, his blush deepening with his words. 

"Well, I certainly understand that line of thinking - I'm even smaller. I don't understand how you both possibly find  _ me  _ attractive like  _ this.  _ But  _ you're  _ beautiful - adorable, yes - but hot and sexy too. And obviously Ichigo just has a  _ thing  _ for men our size," Toshiro said with a bright laugh, "Because even with all of the other attractive men he knows that he  _ could  _ have been attracted to, Hyourinmaru says he's only felt  _ that _ way about  _ us.  _ Apparently Tensa talks a lot," Toshiro stated, still chuckling a bit. 

Yukio’s laugh brightened, and emerald eyes were alight with joy when they focused back on Toshiro. “That must be a little weird, not having privacy even in your own mind. I’d really like to actually meet the two of them - the zanpakuto, that is. It seems like they’ve helped you both a lot, and I feel kinda… disconnected from that part of both of you,” Yukio admitted. 

Toshiro kissed his cheek, his expression soft,  _ "You've  _ helped me a lot, Yukio. And having a zanpakuto spirit, it's good and bad, I suppose. I long ago accepted not having any privacy from Hyourinmaru, perhaps it troubles some. But he  _ is  _ me, in a sense - he's  _ my  _ power, so it never felt odd that he knew my every thought and emotion, could hear and see everything that I do if he wants. 

"It actually doesn't go the other way - I can't access parts of his knowledge that he doesn't want me to, that he doesn't think I'm ready for. Though I have complete access now - I have for the past decade, really - I rarely use it. I'd rather have a proper conversation with him after so many years of doing so. And as cute and sweet as they are together, I don't really want to see Hyourinmaru being intimate with Tensa…" Toshiro said with a blush. 

Yukio’s blush renewed with the statement, and he shook his head with a flustered smile. “No, I’d imagine you wouldn’t. But I can still meet them, right? They’re always there, aren’t they?” he asked eagerly.

"Of course - but… does that mean you've figured out how to get  _ yourself  _ into our inner world?" Toshiro asked in cautious excitement. 

“Oh!” Yukio exclaimed, giggling a bit embarrassedly. “Yes, I think I have. We’ll have to test it, though. Sorry, I forgot I didn’t tell you that part yet. I think I can use my pocket dimension to pull me in with you.”

Toshiro hadn't thought he could possibly love Yukio more, teal eyes softening as he whispered, "You had decided a while ago, hadn't you? You just didn't want to tell me until you'd figured out how to actually make this  _ work."  _

Yukio nodded, sighing lightly. “Yes… like I said, it wasn’t hard for me to accept that I was alright with being with both you and Ichigo. But there wouldn’t have been any point in telling you that, getting all of our hopes up, if we couldn’t actually be  _ together,”  _ he replied.

"I  _ love  _ you," Toshiro whispered. He was so used to being the one that had to figure everything out, that had to take care of others. But Yukio - Yukio took care of  _ him,  _ even when he didn't know it. And he didn't  _ need  _ Toshiro to help him solve anything, he could do that himself - he only wanted Toshiro because he loved and desired him, not because he required anything of him. 

Toshiro leaned forward to gently kiss Yukio’s lips, trembling slightly at how much love and relief he was feeling. He didn't even try to deepen it, not feeling remotely compelled to fall into Hyourinmaru's practiced motions. He felt completely himself as he simply applied gentle pressure, trying to convey in a way that words were so woefully inadequate for how much he truly loved and appreciated this man. 

Yukio smiled into Toshiro’s lips, letting his eyes slide shut as he felt the gentleness in the contact. He brought one arm up to wrap around Toshiro’s shoulders, the other firmly around his waist. They stayed there, only tender love between them, for quite a while, and Yukio felt every ounce of tension leave his body the longer they remained that way. Eventually, though, Yukio did pull away, just barely, speaking against Toshiro’s lips, “I love you, too. Now, do you want to help me test getting me into your inner world?”

Toshiro was so pleasantly relaxed but excitement sparked again as he nodded, "What do you need me to do?" 

Yukio considered for a moment, running through how he  _ thought  _ this was going to work. “I’m pretty sure all I need you to do is perform jinzen the same way you usually do. I’m going to have to do the work, manipulating this pocket dimension… If I’m right, I should be able to tap into the shift in your Reiatsu. I can feel it every time, so I’m  _ hoping  _ I can actually connect with it with my Fullbring,” he explained, rambling a bit more than he intended, but so lost in thought that he didn’t truly notice.

Toshiro kissed his cheek, hiding his smile at just how incredibly adorable Yukio was when he got lost in his thoughts that way. He shifted away, taking Hyourinmaru from his stand and sitting in a seiza position upon the bed, the blade across his lap. He smiled at Yukio, saying, "I'm ready when you are."

Yukio took a deep breath, nervous of whether this was actually going to work. He lifted his left arm, looking over the controls of his Fullbring. He gave Toshiro a short nod, determined seriousness having taken over his expression. “Go ahead.”

Toshiro closed his eyes, letting his excitement go, focusing on his breathing as he fell into meditation. Then his mind blanked further, noticing but not  _ thinking  _ about even his breathing, falling further as he slid into jinzen. 

Yukio immediately felt the slight difference in Toshiro’s Reiatsu, having focused on the Captain’s energy before he had even told him to proceed. There was a fine line between the signatures, and as soon as Toshiro fell from meditation to his inner world, Yukio went to work, focusing the actual  _ origin  _ of his surroundings from his own mind to Toshiro’s, almost as though he was actually allowing Toshiro to control his Fullbring through his Reiatsu. It was a complex balance, and Yukio feared immediate failure, the coding for such a thing  _ very  _ easy to misstep. He watched the room shift, though, Toshiro’s bedroom fading out of existence completely.

What materialized instead was fascinating. Yukio found himself sitting in…  _ snow.  _ And there was more falling. The Reiatsu in this place was nearly overwhelming, much stronger than Toshiro’s own, and wide emerald eyes scanned his surroundings. Before he found anything other than an endless expanse of what seemed to be skyscrapers lying on their sides and a gray sky producing the incessant snowfall, he found Toshiro sitting in the same seiza position, the same distance from him that he had been on the bed. “It… It worked,” he whispered, relief flooding him as he let out the breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding.

Toshiro opened his eyes to the now familiar snow-covered, sideways cityscape and immediately looked over to Yukio, in the same seated position and distance as before. He grinned, moving quickly to hug him tightly, "You're brilliant, Yukio - amazing." 

Yukio giggled, returning Toshiro’s hug but his eyes still wandering. “Thank you, but I’m pretty surprised myself. There were so many ways this could have  _ not  _ worked. I’m glad it did,” he said absently. He was still much too occupied with  _ where  _ they were. “So, this is where you go… it’s beautiful, really. I shouldn’t be so surprised that it’s covered in snow,” he commented with a small laugh.

Toshiro laughed as well, "Yes, Hyourinmaru's -  _ my _ \- Reiatsu is the snow. The city is Tensa’s and Ichigo's. I think I felt what you did - it was almost like I had to give your Fullbring  _ permission  _ to access my mind as I slid into jinzen. I did so without thinking about it, cause I knew it was  _ your  _ Fullbring,  _ your  _ Reiatsu and I trust you completely. I'm pretty sure I gave it permission unconsciously before I even recognized the request for what it was. If I hadn't, I don't think this would have worked…" 

Yukio’s face flushed a bit. “Sorry, I should have explained what I was going to do. I didn’t know you would actually feel it. I guess I should have thought about it that way - it is  _ your  _ mind I’m messing with, after all,” he said apologetically.

"It's fine," Toshiro said soothingly, "Everything worked out. And you had no idea I would need to  _ allow  _ your Fullbring to work this way. I'm just so completely happy that it did work, that you're  _ here." _

Yukio smiled and tightened his arms around Toshiro, but his eyes lit up again as he remembered another small quirk he had learned while tweaking his Fullbring to accomplish this. He swiped his left hand down, accessing a menu, going through a few options before tapping a few check-boxes, the physical manifestation of his power gradually flashing out of view, first the gauntlets and then the headphones over his ears.  _ “And  _ I can do that. They’re still there, technically - obviously their effects are still active - but they can’t be seen or felt until I go back into the menu and reactivate them,” he explained.

Yukio’s attention was arrested, though, by a rather strong disruption in the air around them. When he looked up to investigate, his eyes widened and his mouth fell open a bit. It was a  _ dragon.  _ Sure, Toshiro had told him that Hyourinmaru had a dragon form, but Yukio was completely unprepared for just how majestic he truly was. He couldn’t wrench his eyes away as the enormous creature lowered itself down to the surface of the snow, a single slow beat of his wings making for a smooth, practiced landing not far from where they were seated. When Hyourinmaru lowered his head, a long, slow breath disturbing the snow, Yukio realized someone was actually on his back. It  _ had  _ to be Tensa, based on Toshiro’s description, and the other spirit was no less interesting, mismatched eyes piercing but obviously happy as they found the two of them sitting together.

Yukio didn’t even realize he was actually actively clinging to Toshiro quite desperately, almost fearful of Hyourinmaru, especially as his enormous head neared them even more. Yukio released Toshiro rather hastily, holding his hands up and flinching away a bit when an icy snout nudged his shoulder. 

“Do not fear me, Yukio. I know you mean this world - and my master - no harm,” Hyourinmaru assured him, pulling away only a small distance, rather amused by Yukio’s obvious apprehension. 

Toshiro kissed Yukio on the cheek, saying softly, "This is Hyourinmaru, Yukio. Remember, he's my power - he couldn't harm you anymore than I could, it would cause me too much pain. And you're immune within your Fullbring anyway. We must still be within it - otherwise you'd be freezing and Hyourinmaru would have never been able to touch you."

Yukio nodded, his breaths still a bit shaky as he stared into the bright ruby eyes of the dragon that was still only inches from him. “I - um - yes, we are. Your mind took over, in a way, but it’s still active,” he confirmed. He still couldn’t tear his eyes away from the creature that Toshiro wielded as his power, though. Curiosity getting the best of his initial shock and fear, he reached out a trembling hand, pausing and holding his breath before pressing it to the end of Hyourinmaru’s nose. When there weren’t any negative consequences, he exhaled slowly, moving his hand back and forth on the smooth, icy scales. A small smile took over his expression when Hyourinmaru lightly pressed into his hand.

“I thank you, Yukio, for caring for my master when I could not, as briefly as that instance was,” the dragon said gently, or as gently as his deep, animalistic voice could muster. 

Yukio’s gaze softened only more as his touch grew more comfortable, running his hand down the side of Hyourinmaru’s snout, not even fearful of the jagged fangs there. “It was nothing, really. He needed it - he wasn’t going to take care of himself. You’re welcome, though. I’ll always take care of him,” he replied.

Toshiro smiled, shifting against Yukio to curl against his chest to watch him with Hyourinmaru. Teal eyes flickered to Tensa as the other used shunpo to appear near them, Tensa's hand raising to rest atop Hyourinmaru's head above the large, ruby eyes. 

Tensa grinned at the small blonde being so gentle as he curiously ran his fingers over the smooth, icy scales of his mate. "We're both grateful," he said, voice deep and twinged with that underlying hollow scream he couldn't completely conceal. "'Maru has been happier and far less stressed since you started taking care of Captain, which of course makes me happy to see. Seems Captain’s needed someone to take care of him for a long while and 'Maru couldn't help but worry about him almost constantly."

Yukio smiled, emerald eyes moving to the other zanpakuto spirit, tracing over every odd feature - his unnaturally pale skin, the eerie black and gold of his left eye, the fragment of a hollow mask over that eye. As he investigated him, though, he quickly averted his eyes upon finding the quite obvious - and seemingly permanent - bite mark on the left side of his neck. He had nearly forgotten what  _ kind  _ of relationship these two had, but that reminder was difficult to miss. “I’m sure, given the same opportunity, Ichigo would have taken care of him, too. And, really, being part of him, you would likely do the same. Seems like Toshiro has a lot of people who  _ want  _ to take care of him, he’s just too stubborn to take it most of the time, and too distant from Ichigo given where they both live,” he said to distract from the fact that he had to be blushing at least a bit.

"Honestly Yukio, were it not for my orders requiring you to live with me because my home is too far from any other dwelling and the fact that you can make yourself immune from my ice, I'd likely still be stubbornly recovering on my own and overworking myself to death. I know that's not really healthy but it's just how I've lived for the past twenty years. I'm not used to being  _ able  _ to allow anyone  _ close  _ to me - let alone actually  _ help _ me and get me to take better care of myself," Toshiro said softly. 

Yukio removed his hand from Hyourinmaru’s face, bringing it down to cup Toshiro’s cheek. “Well, then I guess I should be weirdly thankful that I got stuck with you, because you’re right - that’s not healthy, and I’m glad I could get you out of that rut,” he said softly, leaning down to kiss his unoccupied cheek. “Oh, and before you start overthinking and stressing  _ again,  _ I’ve already thought about the fact that if I ever get sent back to the Living World, I can just do this same thing with Ichigo, and we can still be together, and I’ll constantly be asking you if you ate enough and slept enough and went home at a reasonable time from work. I’ll be even more annoyingly insistent than I already am,” he added with a chuckle.

Toshiro laughed as well, smiling brightly. "You know, you're not the only one that can solve problems, and there were two possible ways for your being monitored by me to end…"

Yukio’s laughter continued, and he said, “Oh, so are you saying you’re just not going to let them take me away, even if they  _ do  _ find me fit to return? You’re going to insist that I integrate into the Soul Society?”

"Someone as highly capable as you, who I don't want to go to sleep anymore without - I'm keeping you, Yukio," Toshiro said with certainty, a possessive smile on his face. "What I'm going to  _ insist  _ on is that you become my third seat. There's actually no law against someone that isn't a shinigami being appointed to the position. You're more powerful than my fourth seat and I know you'll actually help me with the paperwork - and do it all perfectly."

Yukio’s amusement dropped completely at the obviously serious suggestion - or, plan, he supposed, because it seemed that Toshiro fully intended to follow through. “But, I - really? I mean, I have… I guess… my company has been running by itself with only remote contact for this long. You know… I could give Ichigo a job there, so I had someone I was actually in contact with that could handle things for me. Do you think he would?” Yukio muttered, really trying to sort everything out in his mind and thinking aloud.

"You could always ask him," Toshiro said, gentling and kissing his cheek. "As my third seat, I can send you to Living World when necessary - and you wouldn't require the seal and ridiculous amount of paperwork I have to endure to travel between the worlds. And really, it's not a demand if you want to return to Living World instead - I can't help but be a bit selfish though, now that I have you."

Yukio considered, but it really seemed like the perfect compromise. “No, that would be perfect. They wouldn’t question my being in the Soul Society, and I could still go back to the Living World when I wanted to. I was actually starting to worry that this was the only contact I was going to have with Ichigo. I’d spend so much time with you, I might sometimes… want to go see Ichigo, if that’s okay. Not to do anything without you, physically, or anything, just… to spend some time with him,” he said, his voice trailing off a bit as his thoughts again ran away with him.

Toshiro chuckled, "I'm not going to chain you to me, Yukio. Of course you can see Ichigo in Living World, as long as you complete your duties before doing so which I know you will. I will miss you though… I just wish it wasn't such a hassle for a Captain to go to Living World, though I do get sent more than the rest. I seem to cause the least chaos and actually turn in reports of my missions on time."

Yukio smiled, but the dilemma weighed heavily on his mind. He shook his head, though, determined not to let it consume him as he knew problems often did. “It’s fine, Toshiro. We’ll make the most of all the time we can spend here, and every chance we get, we’ll both go see Ichigo and really spend time together, do things in town, have fun together. Alright?” he said, reaching down to kiss Toshiro’s cheek.

"Like… a date…" Toshiro said slowly, blushing. "I've never actually been… I mean, Matsumoto would drag me places but I've never… Well - I've never had anyone I  _ wanted _ to do those types of things with that I felt like I  _ could…" _

Yukio held Toshiro tighter, nuzzling his cheek against his hair with a smile. “Yes, a date. Every time we go see Ichigo, all three of us are going on a date. I’m absolutely certain Ichigo won’t have any objections to that,” he said with a small laugh.

Toshiro groaned, "He's going to be insufferable - you realize he's not going to care about being in public to be affectionate with either of us -  _ both  _ of us - at the  _ same time…" _

Yukio laughed only more heartily at Toshiro’s tone. “Yes, I’m well aware that Ichigo doesn’t seem to have much of a filter, with his words or his actions. But, you know, he’d only be doing it because he loves us, not to embarrass us,” he pointed out.

"I suppose in Living World it's fine," Toshiro sighed. "I finally have most of the Divisions' respect and such things aren't appropriate for Captains in public. Time and place and all that nonsense…" Toshiro said, trailing off. 

Yukio brought a hand to Toshiro’s chin, bringing his face up and leaning down to speak nearly against his lips, “I think… now may be the right time and place, though.” He closed the distance between them, still not deepening the kiss but giving a content sigh at the contact. Just feeling this much was enough for him much of the time, desire not instantly taking over his mental function. He was much more focused on the pure joy and peace Toshiro brought him.

Toshiro melted into the kiss, allowing Yukio to guide the pace and amount of heat like he had since their first kiss. It was easier to do every time, allowing him to relax and surrender to Yukio more rapidly, whimpering and moaning softly at the tender, loving pressure. He would never tire of this, his heart completely full even as the rate at which it beat sped up. 

Yukio’s eyes slid half open, his gaze averting to the two zanpakuto spirits still very much near them. It wasn’t disturbing, per se, just a bit distracting that they were still present. He knew Hyourinmaru was aware of everything Toshiro did anyway. Still, he couldn’t help but feel scrutinized. 

Hyourinmaru immediately picked up on Yukio’s discomfort, catching his glance. “We will leave you, master. I believe you may desire privacy,” he said, shifting to unobtrusively nuzzle his nose into his master’s side, though the nearness did cause Yukio to break the kiss anyway. “I apologize, Yukio. I know you are not accustomed to our presence,” he added, moving to gently press his cheek to Yukio’s hair. 

“That’s… that’s alright,” Yukio replied, a bit taken aback by the clear affection Hyourinmaru was showing him. He smiled and reached up to pat the side of the dragon’s snout before the spirit withdrew. 

"Yes -" Toshiro said, a bit dazed from the kiss being so abruptly interrupted. He didn't mind the spirits' presence but it was sure to be off-putting for Yukio. "- Thank you, Hyourinmaru."

Tensa grinned, "See you around, Captain. And, continue taking such  _ good care _ of him, Yukio," Tensa said with a wink. "Also, don't let that innocence fool you - there's a lot of book knowledge in that head, enough that 'Maru had no trouble knowing what to do," he commented, his grin widening as he saw his words sink in. 

Yukio’s eyes widened and his cheeks lit up in a deep shade of red as he looked back down at Toshiro. “I - um - I guess I would have found out eventually,” he said, eyes going back up to Hyourinmaru and Tensa. He had yet to actually see the dragon’s human form, but the sight of the bite on Tensa’s neck only renewed his humiliation.  _ Why  _ did the spirit insist on teasing? Though, he had to remember he was part of Ichigo… 

Toshiro was blushing heavily, looking at Tensa as he managed out, "You make it sound as if I  _ study  _ this kind of thing - I just wanted to be familiar enough to know what Matsumoto meant whenever she'd make certain comments. I hate feeling ignorant about what others are talking about around me. I'm… glad, I guess, that  _ my  _ knowledge helped the two of you…"

Tensa laughed, "Yeah, cause I wasn't any help. King was clueless - though, I think he has corrected that bit of ignorance more since that dream of his," Tensa said, still grinning like mad, the golden eye glowing slightly in humor. 

Toshiro blushed harder at the reminder of Ichigo's dream, turning away from Tensa and burying his face into Yukio’s neck to help him calm down - he did not need the mental image Ichigo had stated in his head right now, kissing Yukio, cuddled up with him on his lap…

Yukio thought he might actually melt from the mortified heat that was spreading all the way to his ears. “Dream? What dream?” he snapped, not entirely following all of what was going on, just knowing that Tensa’s outspokenness was clearly embarrassing  _ both  _ him and Toshiro quite heavily.

"You really wanna know, little Fullbringer?" Tensa asked, tapping the side of his head, "Cause I can tell you as much detail as you want…"

“I -” but Yukio wasn’t even sure how to respond. Clearly whatever it was was amusing to Tensa, but  _ highly  _ humiliating for Toshiro. He looked down at Toshiro, whispering, “Do I want to know? Because I really don’t want to embarrass you any more than he’s already done to both of us.”

Toshiro groaned, "It's not that it's embarrassing - it's that I'm really trying not to picture it myself right now…"

That reaction made Yukio much more curious than worried, and he looked back up to Tensa, bracing himself mentally for  _ whatever  _ Ichigo had dreamed. “Alright, tell me,” he stated determinedly. 

Tensa’s grin was not a pleasant thing as he sat in front of the pair, crossing his legs, his hand still raised to lightly caress Hyourinmaru's jaw, keeping that gentle contact as he spoke, "You've never seen King's bedroom in Living World, but Captain has - it's a small room with a fairly small bed. In the dream, King walked in after taking a shower to find you both on his bed. You were so focused on each other you didn't notice him enter the room. Neither of you were wearing a thing, tangled up together and kissing desperately. Then you, little Fullbringer, rolled over on top of Captain and started thrusting against him as you marked up his neck -"

“Okay,  _ stop!”  _ Yukio practically yelled, shaking his head as he tried to control his pounding heart. Surely his entire face and neck were flushed by now, and he could really hardly take a full breath. “Sorry I asked,” he grumbled, his eyes directed to the endless snow-covered city, not willing to make eye contact with anyone at this point. He didn’t even know what else to say, or what to do, really only continuing to hold Toshiro because he wasn’t willing to let him go.

Toshiro turned to stare at Tensa, teal eyes wide as he said, "That's  _ not  _ what Ichigo said."

Tensa just laughed, "King didn't go into detail - Yukio didn't say give a summary. He said to tell him the dream," Tensa said, the hollow scream more clear the more he laughed. 

Hyourinmaru gave a quiet, stuttered huff that at least his master and Tensa would recognize as a light chuckle. “I believe you have teased them enough, my mate. We should leave them now. Surely your King will be arriving soon,” he insisted, lifting his head to nuzzle into Tensa’s side. 

Tensa cocked his head a bit, a look of fleeting concentration across his face before it smoothed and he grinned, "King's still asleep, it's pretty early morning yet, so I can pull him here. Would you two like that?" Tensa asked, standing up and hugging Hyourinmaru's neck with one arm as he nuzzled his right cheek against him. 

Yukio turned back toward the others, still glaring a bit at Tensa. But his gaze softened when he looked down at Toshiro. “I’m alright with that. Toshiro?” he asked softly. He really wasn’t sure of the small Captain’s state, and he was a bit concerned.

Toshiro smiled up at Yukio, "I'm fine,  _ really.  _ I just didn't know how I was going to calmly kiss you like we usually do with  _ that  _ mental image in my head… and… I don't want to push you, Yukio - or progress too far without Ichigo…" 

Yukio gave Toshiro a soft grin. “Well, if Tensa pulls Ichigo here, we won’t have to worry about that.  _ Apparently,  _ he wants to see us that way anyway,” he said with a rather exasperated tone. Though, as the actual shock of the information wore off, it wasn’t all that surprising. If he had been entertaining thoughts of being with both of them, it made sense.

Toshiro blushed but turned to Tensa, nodding. 

Tensa grinned and Toshiro realized a moment too late that perhaps not asking a few more clarifying questions first had been a mistake. But it was too late as Ichigo materialized, laying in a nearby bank of snow, in much the same state as last time though now Toshiro understood the reason for his affected breathing and appearance. 

Tensa laughed brightly, the sound heavy with the hollow scream as he stepped on the Reiatsu around them to settle upon Hyourinmaru's back as he waved, "Have fun you three! I think  _ now  _ I'm ready to go, 'Maru," he stated, still laughing as he caressed the icy scales of Hyourinmaru's neck. 

Ichigo subconsciously felt the shift when Tensa pulled him into their inner world, but waking in the middle of a dream was difficult under the best circumstances, and his mind really didn’t want to leave this one. He groaned a bit as he tried to pull himself back to consciousness anyway, sorely wanting to curse rather profusely at his zanpakuto spirit. A harsh wind woke him very suddenly, though, and when he sat up abruptly, he rubbed his eyes to clear the sleep, looking up to find Tensa looking far too smug on Hyourinmaru’s back, the two already leaving. “What the  _ fuck,  _ Tensa?” he called, half-heartedly gathering snow in his hands and flinging it toward the retreating man, glaring instead when he was far out of range.

"I apologize, Ichigo," Toshiro said, sitting up a bit but still relaxing against Yukio’s warm chest. "Tensa asked if we wanted him to pull you here - I should have asked him a few more questions before agreeing…"

At Toshiro’s voice, Ichigo’s eyes jerked toward him. Finding him cuddled up to  _ Yukio,  _ though, arrested his attention more than his words. “Woah, wait, Yukio… You… decided, then?” he asked, hopeful but not too enthusiastic. But surely they weren’t both there just to tell him that they had decided to be with each other without him.

Yukio nodded, giving Ichigo a smile. “Yes, I… want to be with both of you. You know, I actually liked you, before. I just never said anything, because I was sure you’d never think that way about me,” he admitted. 

Yukio had hardly finished speaking before Ichigo stood long enough to walk the distance to them and fall to his knees in the snow next to them, an arm around each of them. He couldn’t even really find words for how happy he was, so impulse took over and he began trailing light kisses over Yukio’s cheek and down his jaw, smiling when the other man giggled. When he reached Yukio’s chin, he moved to Toshiro, beginning at his forehead and kissing down to the tip of his nose. “Love you both, so much,” he murmured as he held them a bit tighter.

Toshiro was smiling, giggling himself as Ichigo kissed down his nose, "See?" he said conspiratorially to Yukio, "Insufferable already."

Ichigo chuckled and only kissed Toshiro’s forehead again, saying, “Insufferable? What have you been telling him about me?”

“Nothing I don’t already know, Ichigo,” Yukio replied with a grin. “We were just talking about going out together when we could all get to the Living World, and Toshiro seems to think your open affection is a problem,” he teased.

"Hmmm, I think I could get used to it though," Toshiro said, leaning into Ichigo's kisses. "Starting to care less about appearances and what I'm  _ supposed  _ to do as a Captain - especially outside Soul Society…"

Ichigo gave a satisfied hum when Toshiro leaned into the contact. “Good, because you know I don’t care about that stuff, either,” he said quietly. He shifted to kiss the top of Toshiro’s head before pulling back from them a bit. “So, this is for real, huh? And you’re really good with this, Yukio?” he asked, squeezing Yukio’s shoulder.

Yukio nodded, giving a genuine smile. “I realized, when Toshiro told me that you said it this way, that it’s not about  _ sharing,  _ because we’re all going to have each other equally. I just had to wrap my head around the fact that I love you both, too, the same way the two of you love each other and me. It… isn’t really something I had thought about before, but it’s not bad. Nothing about this is bad. So, yes, I’m completely okay with this. Now… I think we need something here…” he said, trailing off as he lifted his arm to fiddle with the controls of his Fullbring. “Toshiro, every time I manipulate something here, you may have to allow it, like an administrator permission, I guess…” he commented absently.

Toshiro nodded, watching him curiously, "It's fine. Like I said before, I trust you. I really only noticed I subconsciously gave you permission after the fact before. My trust and love for you isn't really a decision…"

Yukio nodded, making a final adjustment and then turning his eyes to the area next to them, where a large, comfortable Western-style bed materialized. “Figured we may as well be comfortable, right?” he said with a rather smug grin.

Ichigo laughed, bringing a hand up to ruffle Yukio’s hair. “Hell yeah,” he agreed through his laughter. He stood, shifting his arms to the others’ waists to pull them up with him, really hardly allowing either of their feet to touch the ground as he pulled them over to the bed, plopping down and lying with Yukio ending up haphazardly on top of him and Toshiro on the bed against his side, his arms still around both of them. He laughed as he shifted to slide Yukio from on top of him, allowing him to cuddle back into Toshiro as he curled around behind him, his arm over both of them and his hand gently pulling through Toshiro’s hair.

Yukio was rather amused by Ichigo’s enthusiasm, but he took it in stride, knowing he was  _ always  _ this excited about most everything. He pressed back into the curve of his body, sighing contentedly as he brought his arms back around Toshiro, pulling him against him. “This is nice,” he whispered, loving the feeling of being surrounded by both of them.

Toshiro hummed, loving the feeling of Ichigo's fingers in his hair as he pressed against Yukio’s neck, nuzzling with his nose before gently kissing him there, his legs entwining with both Yukio’s and Ichigo's. "Yes," Toshiro agreed, voice soft as he continued to shower Yukio’s neck with gentle affection, reveling in the smell of him and moaning softly as Ichigo's fingers massaged his scalp as his fingers repeatedly passed through his thick, winter white hair. 

Their position, and the love and security it provided, along with Toshiro’s actions and the sound he made caused Yukio’s breath to hitch a bit. He brought his hand to Toshiro’s chin, bringing teal eyes up to him for only an instant before he captured Toshiro’s lips, still hesitant to go further despite the fact that they were all together, and there was no reason to resist. 

Just the two of them kissing had Ichigo’s blood running a bit hot, reminding him far too much of his dreams, and he couldn’t stop himself from bringing his free hand to the back of Yukio’s neck, forming a loose fist in his hair to hold it away from the skin and ducking his head to litter light kisses on the smooth flesh. Just the feeling of Yukio’s warmth under his mouth caused him to groan a bit deeply, his lips parting and his tongue investigating the skin, nipping lightly as he did so.

When Ichigo’s teeth lightly scraped against the back of his neck, Yukio gasped, his lips parting against Toshiro’s and his already sharp breaths washing over them.

Toshiro whined, parting his own lips, exchanging breath. It took everything within him to not invade Yukio's mouth with his tongue but he held onto the knowledge that the instinct wasn't his and Yukio had stopped him from deepening their kiss before - he  _ refused  _ to rush him. But he  _ desperately  _ wanted to feel him like that so he tilted his head, fitting their slightly parted lips together, now directly exchanging breath as he whined again, hoping Yukio would take the invitation to deepen the kiss himself as Toshiro started to tremble against him, heat flooding him in anticipation. 

As Ichigo continued to lightly assault the back of his neck, his hand in his hair lightly massaging, and Toshiro clearly  _ inviting  _ him to invade his mouth, Yukio truly couldn’t hold back anymore. He plunged his tongue into Toshiro’s mouth, groaning at the taste and the feeling of Toshiro clearly yielding to him. 

Toshiro moaned brokenly, not knowing he even  _ could  _ make that sound as heat and desire surged through him. The more he surrendered to Yukio, the more thoroughly the blonde claimed his mouth. It was completely different from the first kiss he'd had with Ichigo. He didn't even have to fight all that hard with Hyourinmaru's instincts, Yukio’s gentle but insistent tongue completely different from Hyourinmaru's partner's reactions and movements, allowing Toshiro to respond and surrender to him as completely  _ himself.  _

A sound like that coming from  _ Toshiro  _ certainly caught Ichigo’s attention, and he reluctantly moved away from Yukio’s neck to lean up a bit. He let out a strained groan when he found Toshiro and Yukio locked in a heated kiss, and desire washed over him quickly. The hand that was in Toshiro’s hair trailed down the Captain’s small body, amber eyes still locked on the pure passion between the two of them. “Damn, that’s hot,” he said, his voice clouded over with lust. His hand stopped at Toshiro’s hip, his thumb pressing against the hip bone he could feel under the fabric of his yukata. 

Yukio whimpered a bit at Ichigo’s words and the fact that he could quite obviously feel his growing arousal behind him. He in no way wanted to separate from Toshiro, so all he could really think to do was shift his hips back a bit and press into Ichigo, whining at the sensation.

Toshiro found himself moving his hips as Ichigo pressed his thumb against him, rapidly becoming hard as heat continued to surge through him. It didn't help his passion that Yukio actually  _ was  _ warm and hot and solid against his body. As Yukio shifted back more into Ichigo, Toshiro moved to chase that heat without thinking, though Yukio hadn't moved all that far and Toshiro gave another broken moan as his hips pressed against his, moving against him, following the motion of Ichigo's thumb upon his hip bone, guided by the slightest pressure. 

When Toshiro pressed into him, all but thrusting against him, Yukio’s heart rate skyrocketed, and he had to break away from Toshiro’s mouth to be able to even keep breathing. He threw his head back, colliding with Ichigo’s shoulder as he panted heavily, completely overwhelmed between the two of them. His voice was a constant whine when he could even manage to get it to surface through his labored breaths. He actually cried out quietly when Ichigo lowered his head to roughly kiss his neck, all tongue and teeth assaulting the skin and bringing him no relief from the desire that coursed through him, only causing it to build to unbearable heights. 

Ichigo’s hand that had been at the back of Yukio’s neck began to wander, and he was moaning into Yukio’s skin as Toshiro’s hips moved under his grasp. He brought the hand on Yukio around to press against his toned chest, pulling him flush against him and continuing downward to investigate muscled abs beneath thin fabric.

Toshiro felt Ichigo's hand between Yukio and himself and he moved apart from Yukio just enough to allow Ichigo to move it however he wanted. His lips returned to the front of Yukio’s neck, kissing the smooth skin as he continued to follow Ichigo's pressure against his hip, grinding and moving against Yukio’s own hips. Constant moans fell from his lips around labored breathing as he now distinctly felt Yukio’s hard arousal slide against his own with each movement of his hips. 

Yukio had honestly lost a firm grip on  _ what  _ was actually going on around him, feeling Ichigo’s hand running down his body and Toshiro’s hard length against his, causing blinding pressure and pleasure to rush his body. Both of their mouths on his neck, one gentle and the other decidedly  _ not,  _ caused only more ecstasy to rush him. “Can’t - ah - it’s too - too much,” he whimpered as he panted. 

Ichigo growled into Yukio’s neck, shifting away just enough to press his lips to Toshiro’s temple, the closest thing he could reach. “We could make him come like this,” he murmured to Toshiro, his mouth not staying idle for long as he reached to nip Toshiro’s earlobe. 

Toshiro’s whole body shuddered as Ichigo nipped his earlobe and he pulled away from Yukio’s neck to lean into the touch. Ichigo hadn't stopped guiding the motion of his hips, however, and he knew  _ he _ was likely to come from the movement as well if he didn't stop but just didn't have the will to stop  _ himself,  _ having shoved responsibility and decisions firmly from his mind without really understanding what he'd done. He only knew he'd do whatever these two men wanted him to do - immediately and gladly. Still, Yukio’s desperate words were enough to make him manage out, "Yukio - do you - want to stop?" He would, if Yukio told him to, but for now his question ended in a moan as he continued to move against him, guided silently by Ichigo's touch. 

“No! No - don’t stop,” Yukio cried out, so close it was almost painful to hold back any longer. He found himself meeting Toshiro’s movements, his body taking over completely with the sensations that he was powerless to counteract. 

Ichigo was rapidly becoming overwhelmed by pleasure himself, seeing both Yukio and Toshiro so incredibly lost in bliss. He groaned as he felt Yukio begin to move, the friction pressing against his own arousal, and he couldn’t really help it when he lightly latched onto Toshiro’s earlobe again, pulling away only to moan out, “Fuck - you two are so fucking sexy. I’ll come just watching you.” He trailed his hand a bit lower, a broken groan surfacing when his touch grazed Yukio’s cock, not perturbed by Toshiro’s gentle motion against him. 

Evidently, Yukio was only a light touch away, and he nearly screamed when Ichigo touched him, the pressure within him snapping and causing searing heat to wash over him, his entire body tensing for a moment before going completely lax, still utterly consumed by the powerful aftershocks.

Toshiro’s head snapped up at the  _ sound _ Yukio made, not noticing his own movements becoming more forceful as he watched him come. He was panting and whining, watching Yukio’s expression, feeling the way he tensed as he shook against him. It was all so incredibly hot that his own arousal spiked abruptly and he gasped, moaning brokenly again as he shuddered through his own release, his hips stuttering against Yukio and grinding into the curve of what he vaguely recognized as Ichigo's hand. 

Just the sheer erotic quality of the  _ sounds  _ coming from the other two quickly put Ichigo over the edge, his hands tightening on both of them and his face burying in Yukio’s neck as he groaned heavily, a pleasant warmth bursting under his skin and pulling him through the most pleasure he had ever felt in his life. For only a moment, he swore he didn’t even  _ feel  _ anything besides the ridiculous amount of bliss that was coursing through him. He caught his breath, though, panting lightly against Yukio’s neck as shocks tensed his body occasionally.

Toshiro whimpered, curling into Yukio as the aftershocks claimed him, tucking his nose against his neck and breathing harshly. He had literally never experienced anything close to this in his life and he clung to Yukio, shaking uncontrollably. He felt like he didn't have an ounce of control over his body but he didn't care in the least - in fact it only felt freeing, his mind blanking even more than during meditation. 

Ichigo curled his body around Yukio’s, moving his hand from between the two to instead wrap his arm around both of them, the hand that had been on Toshiro’s hip moving gently up and down Toshiro’s side. They both seemed to have gone rather limp, Yukio resting his head in the crook of his shoulder and Toshiro curled into a small ball in the curve of Yukio’s body. “Hey,” he whispered, a bit of a chuckle in his voice, “You two alright?”

Yukio gave a contented hum and nodded, not even really having the strength for words. He was so incredibly relaxed, one arm hung limply around Toshiro and the other holding Ichigo’s arm. He honestly didn’t think he could even  _ move  _ if he tried, his eyes even having slid shut.

The question pulled at Toshiro’s pleasantly blank mind and he whimpered, not remotely wanting to think enough to answer that question - though he then found himself answering without thinking at all, the honest words pulled from him, for once in his life not over analyzing every syllable that went past his lips, "Yes…" he breathed out, "... alright…"

Ichigo smiled at their responses, shaking his head a bit as he settled behind Yukio. Silence fell for a while, Ichigo’s hand still lightly caressing Toshiro’s side. He couldn’t help that his smile never dropped watching the two of them. Ichigo had all but resigned himself to being alone, neither of these men having ever expressed any interest in him and no one else seeming to catch his attention the way they both had. Yet here he was, seeing them in contexts he could have never predicted they would have accepted. “Love you both,” he said quietly, shifting just enough to kiss Yukio’s cheek and Toshiro’s forehead before lying back down.

Yukio smiled, humming again. “Love you, Ichigo,” he murmured, emerald eyes barely opening to catch sight of vibrant orange hair before Ichigo settled back behind him. “And love you, too, Toshiro,” he whispered, just barely tightening his arm around the smaller man before falling lax again.

Toshiro had leaned into Ichigo's kiss upon his forehead, teal eyes fluttering open as he surfaced a bit from the complete calm that had claimed his mind. As Ichigo laid back down, he could still feel his hand upon his side but now that his eyes were open, he disliked instantly and immensely not being able to  _ see  _ that Ichigo was there. He moved Yukio without thinking, the task easy with his strength, so that Yukio was on his back instead of his side. Toshiro relaxed immediately  _ seeing  _ Ichigo laying on his side next to the petite blonde and he moved to lay atop Yukio as he often did at night, pressing a kiss to Yukio’s jaw before leaning over to press a kiss to Ichigo's neck, tucking his nose against him and breathing out, "Love you…  _ Both _ of you…"

Ichigo laughed lightly at Toshiro’s sudden and decisive movements, really more laughing at Yukio’s quite surprised expression in response to it all. “You sure you’re alright, Toshiro?” he asked a bit teasingly, bringing a hand up to bury in soft white hair.

Toshiro instantly leaned into the touch, again the answer to Ichigo's question leaving him without a single conscious thought to the words, "Mind is mostly blank… Needed to see and feel you both… Felt… anxious… Alright again now…"

Ichigo smiled and leaned to kiss Toshiro’s forehead again, pulling him to him slightly with his hand in his hair. He had never even  _ heard  _ of Toshiro acting like this, but really his attachment was flattering. “It’s fine. We’re both here,” he said softly, continuing to run his fingers through Toshiro’s hair and unable to stop smiling when he leaned into the touch.

Yukio brought his arms up to wrap them around Toshiro, always having loved having him against his chest like this. And now that they were all actually together this way, there was absolutely no ambiguity of what was expected or accepted in the action, and he bent to kiss the top of Toshiro’s head, giggling a bit when he caught one of Ichigo’s fingers under his lips.

Ichigo shifted his hand to stroke Yukio’s cheek when his lips grazed his finger, amused that it seemed that both of them were highly responsive to him, Yukio leaning into his hand the same way Toshiro had. He realized quite suddenly that he hadn’t even actually  _ kissed  _ Yukio, and he smirked a bit before tilting Yukio’s face up and taking his lips against his, nearly immediately parting them and groaning when Yukio mimicked him, allowing him access to explore his mouth. That aggression came back with a vengeance, and Ichigo threaded his fingers into Yukio’s fine blonde hair, holding them together and all but devouring the other’s mouth, his actions decisive and almost harsh as he withdrew to drag his teeth along Yukio’s bottom lip, causing the other to whimper into his mouth.

Toshiro had shifted to Yukio's opposite shoulder to allow Ichigo's actions, teal eyes watching the two gorgeous men avidly and feeling desire build within him again. Ichigo wasn't being at all gentle but Yukio didn't seem to mind, his pleasure clear in each sound and the trembling that had resurfaced within his body. They looked so hot together, Toshiro found his own body reacting, growing hard again and breathing becoming affected. His hands began to wander Yukio’s lightly clothed body, shifting further to his side and pushing up the thin material to feel smooth skin and hard muscle. His gaze remained locked on their kiss as his fingers gently and reverently caressed Yukio’s abs, moving up to his chest, pushing the shirt higher as he explored his lithely toned body. 

Yukio’s breath hitched when he felt Toshiro’s hands on his bare skin, and the already desperate sounds getting caught in Ichigo’s mouth increased in both frequency and volume. Ichigo wasn’t giving in at all, either, claiming his mouth rather expertly given all of their lack of experience. It didn’t matter, though, with the pure bliss that was filtering back into Yukio’s blood. He whined when Ichigo withdrew, his teeth digging a bit more harshly into his bottom lip before he pulled away completely. The unadulterated  _ desire  _ in darkened amber eyes was undeniable, and Yukio gave a quiet, broken groan at the sight. “More - Ichigo - please,” he begged, his voice hardly recognizable even to himself.

Ichigo’s hand joined Toshiro’s on Yukio’s body, not interrupting the other at all but trailing his own path along his toned body. “Fuck, you’re gorgeous,” he all but growled, his hand moving up from Yukio’s side, over his chest to his neck, lightly gripping his chin with his fingers while his palm still rested on his throat. The glazed look in Yukio’s eyes only fueled his arousal, and he couldn’t stop himself from kissing him roughly again for a moment, reveling in the absolutely dazed expression he found when he pulled away. He withdrew completely only to quickly remove his own shirt, not really thinking at all as he returned to hover over both of them, one hand braced next to Yukio and the other behind Toshiro’s back. 

He then directed his attention to Toshiro, leaning on the hand next to Yukio in order to run a hand over his shoulder, grasping the fabric of his yukata and pulling it to reveal the skin beneath, as far as he could given how Toshiro was laying. With half of his arm and all of his shoulder exposed, Ichigo leaned down to press his lips to Toshiro’s shoulder, groaning quietly as he rather instinctively let his tongue pass his lips and taste the skin in the hollow of Toshiro’s collarbone.

A thought pulled at the back of Toshiro’s mostly blank mind as he watched Ichigo's oddly practiced movements but when they were instead directed toward him, he moaned, his hands coming to thread into sunset orange hair as he shifted to his back. Glazed teal eyes looked over to similarly glazed emerald green as he panted, tilting his head to allow Ichigo complete access to his vulnerable neck. He nearly had to fight with himself to do so, the action feeling both wrong and right, but he was already so far surrendered that his want to give everything over to Ichigo won out. 

Ichigo was only frustrated by the fact that he wanted  _ both  _ of them, but knew he could only really put his mind to one of them at a time. He trailed his mouth up Toshiro’s neck, not questioning himself at all as the action was rather automatic given that Toshiro had actually exposed it fully for him. Some strange, primal side of him told him to reward that, and to keep that trust intact. When his teeth touched Toshiro’s jaw, though, he withdrew again, so entirely conflicted about who he wanted to touch, kiss, taste,  _ have.  _ “You’re both so fucking sexy,” he groaned as he looked over them, amber eyes shining with insatiable hunger. 

Yukio’s face flushed under Ichigo’s eyes, and he turned a bit into Toshiro. He wasn’t even fully exposed and Ichigo was saying such things about him, things he never thought any man would ever think of him. 

It actually occurred to Ichigo, though, that he honestly had no idea what he was doing past this point, and he figured that was where some of his frustration must have been coming from. He wanted  _ something - desperately -  _ but he really didn’t know what it was or exactly how to go about it. He looked to Toshiro, lowering himself over them both but not fully putting his weight on them, and lightly kissed the space below Toshiro’s ear. “You know how to do this all the way, right?” he asked softly. 

The instincts he'd been ignoring up until now had his hand moving without thought at Ichigo's question, trailing through the snow that had collected upon the bed beside him and forming a long, tapered, smooth length of ice. He held the object for Ichigo to take, glazed teal eyes looking at him expectantly. 

Ichigo just stared at the piece of ice for a moment, hesitantly taking it but not having any idea what to do with it. “Uh… what the hell is this?” he couldn’t help but ask. He certainly wasn’t coming to any conclusions just looking at it, and he had really only taken it because Toshiro looked at him like he wanted him to. 

Toshiro looked at him like he didn't understand the reason for the question at all but the answer fell from his lips anyway, "Ice."

Ichigo’s expression fell into a scowl at the response. “I  _ know  _ that.  _ Why  _ did you give it to me?” he asked, hoping that clarifying the question would actually get a response. Ichigo had no idea where Toshiro’s mind was, but he figured he wasn’t exaggerating earlier when he said his mind was blank.

Toshiro’s expression remained confused, "You need to use this… Body needs preparation… You wanted to… all the way…"

Ichigo’s eyes narrowed at the piece of ice in his hand. He still was completely clueless on what exactly Toshiro meant by preparation, or what that had to do with sex. He was actually about to ask for even further clarification, but he really didn’t even know what to ask, when an all too familiar voice, traced with hollow laughter, broke through his thoughts.

_ It goes in his ass, idiot! _

“What the -  _ what?!”  _ Ichigo exclaimed, his face immediately flushing a deep shade of red. He would  _ thank  _ his zanpakuto spirit for the clarification, but he was much too distracted by the fact that  _ clearly  _ Tensa had been actually  _ watching  _ all of this happen to know his dilemma. He glanced back down at Toshiro and Yukio, neither of whom had heard Tensa’s…  _ educational  _ comment. He actually had to take a moment and collect himself from the interruption, taking several deep breaths as he considered how to proceed. At least now he knew what to do with it.

Ichigo’s hands were actually shaking - and not from the ice, because it didn’t feel cold against his skin - as he leaned down over them again, kissing Toshiro’s cheek before putting the ice down for a moment and taking the tie of Toshiro’s yukata, pulling it to loosen it before separating it, a sharp sigh surfacing when he looked over Toshiro’s completely exposed body. “I want you  _ so  _ bad, Toshiro, but I want to see you with Yukio, too,” he said quietly, running his hand down Toshiro’s side and grasping at his narrow hip.

Yukio had been completely focused on Toshiro’s now fully exposed body, wide eyes taking in every detail, until Ichigo spoke, at which point they snapped up to him. He already knew Ichigo wanted to see them together, but… Ichigo intended to be with Toshiro, too? Just the thought had Yukio’s heart racing, his eyes returning to the sight next to him and honestly not ashamed at all to admit to himself that he was looking forward to whatever he was able to do with either of these gorgeous men, or watching anything they did together. 

Toshiro’s eyes became half-lidded as he gazed up at Ichigo, not the least bit embarrassed about being exposed. He'd been nude several times in front of others in the bathhouses of Soul Society and had never felt shame in his body, just annoyance over how slowly it was maturing. "Which do you want first?" Toshiro asked lowly, heat running through him at the mention of both desires.

The question made that same frustration rise in Ichigo, and he lowered his head to nip a bit at Toshiro’s neck to ease a bit of the tension. “I want it  _ all - now -  _ and I don’t know  _ why,  _ but I do,” he nearly whined. A sudden idea - that he really didn’t know the origin of and didn’t  _ want  _ to explore the possibilities - caused heat to course through him. “Just do as I ask for a bit, okay, Toshiro? I have an idea,” he said against Toshiro’s neck. 

"I'll do anything you ask of me, Ichigo," Toshiro responded before a pained look crossed his face, "Just… I can't do anything that may harm Yukio…"

Ichigo shifted to bring amber eyes to meet hazy teal, concerned by the statement. “I would never hurt either of you, and I’d never ask you to do anything that might hurt each other, either. Do you… really think I would?” he asked.

"You were…  _ rough…  _ with Yukio - before. I - I  _ can't…" _ Toshiro said, the words broken as he was torn between a hypothetical instruction and his  _ need  _ to be gentle with Yukio. 

Ichigo looked over at Yukio, who seemed content just cuddling into Toshiro. “Yukio, did… did I hurt you?” he asked, really fearing the answer. He looked over Yukio’s neck and lips, both of which were quite ravaged, but didn’t really seem to be injured or bleeding. He knew he had been allowing instinct to guide him, but he hadn’t seen or heard anything that would have suggested that he had hurt either of them, though he knew it was rather impossible for him to hurt Toshiro.

Yukio brought glassy emerald eyes up to Ichigo’s and he shook his head. “No, Ichigo, I’m fine,” he replied. 

Ichigo breathed a sigh of relief, bringing his hand up to pet down Yukio’s hair before kissing his cheek. “Good,” he breathed. He turned back to Toshiro, smiling down at him. “Sorry if I worried you, but I’m not going to ask you to act like me. That’s ridiculous. I’m not going to stop you from doing things the way you want to, and you can  _ always  _ say no. I don’t ever want to give you a reason not to trust me,” he said gently, bringing his hand over from Yukio to run through Toshiro’s hair.

"I trust you," Toshiro responded immediately. "I know you didn't hurt him - Yukio loved it… I was watching… Just needed you to know - I can't be rough like that… Not with him…"

Ichigo smiled and nodded. “That’s okay. I wouldn’t ask you to be. Now… you okay to keep going?” he asked, not wanting to jump forward with Toshiro possibly still having concerns. 

Toshiro nodded, turning his head to kiss Yukio’s shoulder, teal eyes never leaving warm amber as he awaited Ichigo to tell him what he wanted him to do. 

Ichigo’s hand returned to Toshiro’s hip, apprehension again entering his mind at what he was about to do, causing his hand to tremble a bit. “I’m going to use that ice on you. I want you to tell me if I’m doing anything wrong, but I get the idea. I know you’ll stop me if I do anything too stupid,” he said with a grin. 

Toshiro nodded, saying softly, "I'll tell you - just go slow…" He moved his legs to bend at the knees and spread them apart, the leg closest to Yukio brushing and pressing against him a bit as he settled himself comfortably for what Ichigo intended, relaxing as much as possible, nuzzling into Yukio’s shoulder. 

Yukio caught himself whimpering a bit at Toshiro’s contact, his hand coming up without much thought to run down the smooth thigh that was leaned against him. His breaths became a bit shallow at the feel of Toshiro’s bare, pristine skin under his fingers, but as soon as Ichigo shifted over them again, he was watching his every move, though he couldn’t seem to make himself pull his hand away from Toshiro’s thigh. 

Ichigo’s heart began to race at the sight of Toshiro exposing himself even further, his muscle-traced body so incredibly enticing that he nearly forgot what he was meant to be doing. He focused his thoughts again, though, and picked back up the ice, which hadn’t melted at all, given where they were, and brought it down between Toshiro’s legs. He took a deep breath to steady his hand and then pressed it in, just barely, following Toshiro’s direction to go slowly. 

Toshiro released a breathy sigh at the sensation. He was so completely relaxed, Yukio beside him further grounding him, that the ice didn't hurt at all as it entered him. It did feel decidedly odd and he shifted his hips against it, pushing it into himself slightly more as he did so, teal eyes widening as a breathy moan escaped him, realizing he actually  _ liked  _ how it felt - and he wanted to feel  _ more.  _ "Please - more, Ichigo," Toshiro whimpered, shifting his hips again, nearly impossible to keep them still. 

Ichigo had to keep himself under quite a bit of control to not take this too quickly, between Toshiro forcing himself back on the ice and his desperate begging. “You told me to take it slow, so that’s what I’m doing. I refuse to hurt you, Toshiro,” he said gently, more to convince himself that it would be a better idea to keep with the gradual pace. He pressed the ice in a bit more, though, following the motion of Toshiro’s hips in hopes that it would at least feel good, if not help the process along a bit. With each small shift of Toshiro’s hips, Ichigo eased the ice in a bit further, though, intent to keep making progress. 

Yukio’s eyes were completely glued to what was happening between Toshiro’s legs, both curious of what it actually felt like and completely turned on by Toshiro’s reactions. He pressed a bit more firmly into Toshiro next to him, all but hugging the other’s leg against him as he tried desperately to make it through this without demanding something for himself. 

Toshiro had never felt something so wonderful and made him so impatient at the same time. He was difficult to damage, he  _ knew  _ he could go faster, but Ichigo continued to take his time. Toshiro whimpered and groaned through the slow process when he desperately just wanted to feel  _ filled  _ already, every bit of progress feeling even more amazing. But he didn't actually demand Ichigo speed up, and he realized why immediately - Yukio. 

Yukio’s body was human, and though strong and used to pain, Toshiro didn't want him to have a moment of discomfort. And if Ichigo planned to do this with Yukio, Toshiro could endure slow for him if it meant Ichigo went this slowly and thoroughly with Yukio. That thought in mind, Toshiro concentrated on kissing the smooth skin of Yukio's shoulder and forearm as he continued the gentle motion of his hips against the ice slowly sinking into him, eyes falling half-lidded and even more glassy as he relaxed completely and allowed Ichigo complete control of the pace, moans continually falling from his lips. 

Just how much mindless pleasure Toshiro was sinking into had Ichigo fighting against the  _ strong  _ urge to move quicker. He knew Toshiro could take it - he was practically indestructible, especially against something so minor as a piece of his  _ own  _ power. But he bit his bottom lip and clenched his fist around the blanket that was under the hand braced on the bed, following Toshiro’s demand that he take this slowly. 

Yukio was breathing deeply through his nose, trying not to actually pant, because if he even slightly let his mouth open, he knew he would. Still, he couldn’t remain just lying there patiently anymore, so he turned onto his side, careful not to interrupt anything Ichigo was doing as he pressed into Toshiro’s body, his hips tight with the urge to rut against him. Instead, he distracted himself trailing gentle kisses over Toshiro’s face, over his cheek and down his neck, whimpering desperately as he took in the endless sounds flowing from Toshiro’s mouth. 

Ichigo leaned down to press his forehead to Yukio’s hair, his mouth near his ear as he murmured, his voice shaky with need, “I’m almost done, Yukio. You’ll be next.” 

Yukio only groaned at Ichigo’s words and the proximity of his voice to his ear, so much that he could feel his breath disturbing his hair, and he buried his face in Toshiro’s neck, trying and mostly failing to control his breathing.

Toshiro wrapped trembling arms around Yukio as he gazed up at Ichigo, teal eyes glassy and filled with need. As Ichigo sunk the ice impossibly deeper, Toshiro gasped out, his voice strained, "That's enough - Ichigo - I need you to - to just move now - stretch but - not deeper…" He'd been surprised by the sudden discomfort but it was fine. Pleasure returned immediately and he was content that Ichigo was learning with him and not Yukio’s more delicate body. 

Having the blonde seek comfort in him brought him slightly out of that blank state he'd fallen into. If Yukio needed him, he'd be there for him, anything else seemed secondary. He knew he'd similarly put aside everything if Ichigo needed him - in fact he already had, even before all this, giving over so much Reiatsu it left him drained. Now that both men were  _ his,  _ he  _ would  _ take care of them both. 

Just as he would allow them to take care of him. 

Ichigo’s attention was claimed again as soon as he heard the nearly pained gasp from Toshiro, and upon his words, he let up the pressure of the ice a bit and moved it against the slight resistance side to side, still extremely careful with his actions. He had to realize this was a delicate process, even if Toshiro was strong, because he couldn’t really imagine what it would feel like if he was having a piece of ice put in  _ his  _ ass… the thought of which actually made him whine a bit, considering that it would likely happen eventually. He was still leaned down over them, his head rested against Yukio’s, when he evidently moved the ice in a way he didn’t really intend to, and amber eyes widened as Toshiro arched into him.

Toshiro clung to Yukio, teal eyes widening as impossible pleasure ran through him, crying out and immediately whining as Ichigo's motion stopped in surprise. "Please -" he gasped, "Do that again…" His breathing was coming out in gasps, what Ichigo had done nearly sending him over the edge but being immediately denied by him stopping was frustrating beyond belief. He also was certain that if Ichigo didn't relieve all of this pent up pressure from the slow, thorough preparation, he wasn't going to last being actually taken by Ichigo himself. 

Ichigo had to actually take a moment and figure out what exactly it was that he did. He had just been moving the ice as Toshiro had told him to. He slowly shifted the ice within Toshiro’s body again, taking note of every reaction as he did so. Finally, it seemed that he had succeeded when Toshiro cried out again, actually trembling when he hit the same place. He kept pressure there, gently moving back and forth across it and watching Toshiro’s every pleasure-filled reaction.

Yukio honestly had no idea what was going on, nothing in Ichigo’s actions having changed at all to elicit such a reaction from Toshiro. Whatever it was, though, Toshiro was clearly  _ loving  _ every second, and every involuntary movement and sound had Yukio clinging to him as need flooded his own body. Ichigo’s assurance that he would soon be treated to the same thing was the only thing that kept him from actually begging, because he was painfully hard just watching the other two and his heart threatened to break through his ribs with how hard and fast it was beating.

Toshiro’s grip on Yukio tightened further, though he was careful not to hurt the blonde with his strength as his mind was tunneled to the overwhelming pleasure caused by each motion of the ice against that place within him. He was breathing in such an uncontrolled way, the sounds escaping him were unintelligible and broken as he arched and pressed against the ice. He yelled as he was pulled, suddenly and almost harshly into orgasm, the contrast to the slow build preparation almost jarring but oh so perfect, his mind blanking as he trembled, his voice developing into broken whines as the continued motion began to feel over stimulating and aftershocks ran through his small body. 

Ichigo - somehow - successfully kept control of himself as Toshiro was pulled over the edge below him. It seemed that he was held there, his concern for Toshiro and Yukio and not for himself, only by the subconscious realization that he actually had  _ control  _ over both of them, neither asking anything of him or directing him in any way besides Toshiro’s obviously necessary instruction. It was an odd feeling, really, knowing that Toshiro was allowing him this, as strict and demanding of a Captain as he was, but Ichigo didn’t really care much for the reason. He just knew he wanted to take care of them both, that innate need to protect those he loved coming to the surface again. Despite the rough, feral instincts that sometimes overtook his actions,  _ that  _ would never leave him. He had  _ always  _ been a protector. 

When Toshiro’s sounds took a small turn toward discomfort, Ichigo let up the pressure completely, withdrawing the ice a bit, but not completely. When he looked down at Toshiro, withdrawing from where he was resting against Yukio, he realized that asking him anything at this point wasn’t going to elicit a productive response. The man was  _ lost,  _ and that was obvious even to Ichigo. So, taking matters completely into his own hands, he gently slid the piece of ice from Toshiro’s body and put it aside. All he could really do was lean down and gently kiss Toshiro, not demanding anything, his lips soft against his mouth, smiling when he felt what must have been Yukio’s trembling hand on his shoulder, the blonde obviously not really wanting his attention, just contact.

Toshiro began slowly responding to Ichigo's gentle kiss as he came down, his entire body feeling fuzzy and pleasantly, completely relaxed. He hummed as he pressed gently back, parting his lips in invitation, teal eyes opening half-lidded, unaware he'd even closed them. His grip on Yukio gentled, hands tracing what he could of his beautiful body, dismissing fleeting irritation that his shirt, while pushed up to his shoulders, was still there, pulling at the fabric as his fingers passed over it from smooth,  _ warm  _ skin. 

Yukio realized Toshiro was actually pulling at his shirt, even if he didn’t mean to be - because very little of what Toshiro was doing seemed voluntary at this point - and he released his hold on both of them to slip it over his head and toss it behind him, only a bit self-conscious when he caught Ichigo watching him out of the corner of his eye while his mouth was still occupied with Toshiro’s. But the heat in those amber eyes quickly relieved his insecurity, and he pressed back into Toshiro, lightly pressing his lips to his neck as Ichigo kissed him.

Ichigo nearly immediately took Toshiro’s invitation to deepen the kiss, but that instinct took over again, causing heat to flood his body as he invaded the other’s mouth, groaning as his tongue completely took on a mind of its own and his teeth clashed against Toshiro’s. He pressed  _ harder,  _ his body lowering before he even realized he was moving, made sharply aware when his achingly hard cock brushed against Toshiro’s body, causing a sound that was some combination of a groan and a whine to surface as his kiss became even more aggressive, roughly claiming the smaller man’s mouth.

Toshiro keened as he surrendered to Ichigo's forceful claim of his mouth. He briefly had met the challenge with his own tongue and teeth, attempting without thought to subdue  _ Ichigo  _ before he realized how wrong it had felt, immediately becoming pliant and docile but responsive to each move Ichigo made. He wasn't able to bare his neck without breaking the kiss but something within him knew he had to sooth Ichigo's reaction, to make sure he knew he wasn’t challenging his claim of his body. Without any other idea of how to make himself vulnerable and show submission, he raised his hands above his head, opening his body as completely as he was able beneath Ichigo's and whimpering as the larger man moved forcefully against him. 

Something within Ichigo realized that Toshiro was actually attempting to submit to him more thoroughly, and just as he had felt obligated to reward and encourage the behavior before, he broke away from Toshiro’s mouth to bring his lips to one of Toshiro’s wrists, his body so much smaller than Ichigo’s that it really didn’t take much effort to reach every inch of him. He trailed light kisses down Toshiro’s arm to his shoulder, giving a broken groan when Toshiro lifted his head to expose his neck when he reached it. “Fuck - need you, Toshiro - have to take care of Yukio first,” he murmured. 

Toshiro groaned in answer, moving without thought and pulling Yukio to lay on top of him, the blonde's back to his chest, Yukio’s head upon his shoulder, his legs cradling his lower back and hips. Yukio didn't fight the motion at all though he was clearly surprised, as was Ichigo who had been forced to move a bit to allow the motion. Teal eyes, glassy but heated, stared into amber as his hands moved down Yukio’s now exposed chest, abs, and dipped under the waistband of the soft, yielding fabric of his pants he wore to bed at night, caressing his thighs below the dark material. 

Yukio felt entirely exposed and surrounded, even with his pants still on, especially with Toshiro’s hand wandering under the fabric. Dark amber eyes stared down at the two of them, clearly shocked by Toshiro’s actions but not unaccepting, and Yukio whimpered a bit under the obviously lustful attention. His face flushed when Ichigo’s hand came up to run over his body, his touch firm but still careful and admiring of every inch of skin.

When Ichigo’s hand reached Yukio’s waist, it ran over Toshiro’s wrist, following down to his hand and pushing the waistband of Yukio’s pants down with the action. He found that he really couldn’t stop as he slid the soft fabric to expose more of Yukio’s body, not stopping when he gained acceptance by Yukio lifting his hips to allow him to remove his pants completely. Once both of them were fully undressed, Ichigo sat up a bit to just  _ look  _ at them. “So fucking gorgeous,” he said before he even realized he was speaking aloud. 

He smirked a bit when Yukio’s blush deepened, and he ran his hand from Yukio’s knee, down his leg, over his hip, and all the way up his side to his shoulder as he lowered himself back down to hover over them, pressing his nose into Yukio’s cheek as a rather impatient whine surfaced from him. “I’m going to do to you what I did to Toshiro,” he said quietly, kissing Yukio’s cheek as the other nodded a bit shakily. 

Ichigo then shifted his attention to Toshiro for a moment, knowing that he had been immensely concerned before. He brought his lips close to Toshiro’s ear, not being able to resist the urge to nip his earlobe before saying, “I’m going to be gentle, even gentler than I was with you. I  _ know  _ the difference between the two of you, believe me.”

Toshiro nodded as Ichigo leaned back a bit to look into his eyes. His hands slid to wrap around the underside of Yukio's thighs, lifting and opening the blonde's legs to expose him for Ichigo before holding him there, saying softly, "And I'll make sure he doesn't hurt  _ himself  _ by moving."

Yukio whimpered a bit more audibly as Toshiro more thoroughly exposed him, but he had little time to process much before Ichigo was returning amber eyes to meet his emerald, a soft but heated smile on his lips. He relaxed as Ichigo brought his hand up to run through his hair, leaning into the touch and allowing his eyes to fall half-lidded. 

“You’re alright, Yukio,” Ichigo assured him, gently stroking his hair for a moment before sitting up again, taking the piece of ice again and tracing around Yukio’s entrance before gently and slowly pressing it inside, cautious when Yukio’s body showed resistance that Toshiro’s hadn’t. “Good, Yukio?” Ichigo asked, trying not to sound frantic. 

Yukio nodded shakily, the foreign sensation having tensed his body without his consent. His breath had hitched almost painfully in his tight throat, and he forced himself to take deep breaths, glad Ichigo wasn’t proceeding any further yet. “Good - Ichigo - doesn’t hurt,” he replied finally, his words still fragmented between uncontrolled breaths.

Toshiro kissed the soft golden hair, holding him completely still as he trembled over him. "That's it Yukio, just relax, I've got you, Ichigo is going to take care of you…" He nuzzled into the fine hair, pressing more kisses and giving as much comfort as he was able, focusing entirely on Yukio’s comfort and pleasure. 

Ichigo waited as long as Yukio needed, watching him closely as he finally began to relax, actually feeling his body loosen around the ice as it slid a bit further uninhibited. He proceeded with the same process he had performed on Toshiro, but even more slowly, moving it back and forth a bit as he went, figuring it certainly couldn’t harm anything to be even  _ more  _ thorough with his fragile, entirely human body.

Yukio’s body began to relax more willingly as he realized that Ichigo really was going to take his time, easing the ice - which didn’t feel cold, even to him - into his body, stretching as he pressed in. The feeling wasn’t forceful at all, as he had almost expected it to be, and he actually felt pleasure filtering in as he relaxed, and he nearly tried to press back into the ice, whining when he was restrained by Toshiro’s hands holding his thighs completely still. The pent-up arousal needed an outlet, though, and his upper body arched up instead, pressing his head back more firmly into Toshiro’s shoulder.

"That's it, good Yukio," Toshiro murmured, kissing his hair, heated teal eyes watching as Ichigo prepared Yukio's small body. Praise fell from his lips, encouraged as Yukio seemed to revel in the honest, softly spoken words. "You're so gorgeous like this, so hot, accepting as Ichigo prepares you. It feels good, doesn't it? To feel so full, to let go of control. Let go, Yukio, we love you, we've got you… So beautiful…"

Yukio nearly couldn’t take it anymore, how slowly Ichigo was preparing him and how every one of Toshiro’s gentle words sent electricity coursing under his skin, searing heat gathering across his body in its wake. “Ichigo - please - Toshiro -” he truly didn’t know who he wanted more or what he needed, but this pressure simply couldn’t continue for much longer. The deeper Ichigo delved the ice into his body, the more it overtook him completely, pulling him almost completely from reality.

Ichigo had begun to proceed a bit more quickly as Yukio’s body was obviously accepting the ice more readily, settling into the pleasurable feeling instead of tensing around the intrusion. Still, he was vigilant to watch for discomfort, only finding bliss in Yukio’s half-lidded emerald eyes that forced unbearable arousal into his own body. When the ice was  _ finally  _ as deep as it had been when Toshiro stopped him, Ichigo quite intentionally shifted it to press up into the same place Toshiro had reacted so strongly to, not at all disappointed by the effect it had on Yukio.

Yukio felt his body clench down on the ice when Ichigo hit  _ something  _ inside him, his mind not even clear enough to realize that it was the same place Toshiro had reacted to. It really didn’t matter. What mattered was that the blinding, immense pleasure  _ wasn’t going away  _ as Ichigo kept pressing into it. It was only seconds before Yukio was a mess of moans and whimpers, feeling his climax quickly rushing to the surface, completely unable to hold it back as it claimed him. 

He cried out as it slammed into him, desperately pressing into Toshiro’s hands that were still holding him still, his upper body all but writhing as he attempted to thrust into the sensation. The powerful release, so much different from the first, lingered for what felt like long minutes, Yukio’s mind entirely blank as he let the pleasure take over every inch of his body, which fell lax on top of Toshiro’s as warm aftershocks washed over him.

Toshiro slowly allowed Yukio's legs down as Ichigo withdrew the ice from his body, clearly remembering how Toshiro had reacted to it remaining pressed inside before. His fingers massaged the trembling muscles, still pressing kisses into the fine blonde hair. Yukio writhing against him had brought him back to full arousal but he ignored his own need as Yukio came down. He grinned up at Ichigo, unable to see Yukio’s face but knowing he must look sexy as hell from Ichigo's expression. 

Ichigo found that his breathing was a bit labored, and he hadn’t even  _ done  _ anything, really. But Yukio’s completely vacant expression, taken by the sheer amount of pleasure he had been given, made so much arousal pool in Ichigo’s body that he had to again force himself to calm, knowing Yukio obviously needed a moment to recover from the intensity before they went any further. So, he lowered himself back down over the two of them, this time keeping his hips raised to avoid contact so there was no reason for his nagging desire to blind him to the needs of the two under him. 

He first pressed his lips to Yukio’s neck, moaning quietly as he let his tongue pass through, the taste teasing him and forcing him to resist the instinct that told him to suck and nip and ravage the flesh again. He knew Yukio wasn’t in any condition to tolerate that. So he kept his actions as gentle as possible, his teeth still contacting Yukio’s skin a bit as the other tilted his head back to give him access, just as Toshiro had. He closed his eyes tightly, pressing back what  _ had  _ to be Tensa’s tendencies, suddenly understanding what Toshiro meant. 

Until now, it hadn’t really mattered, his rough treatment of both of them feeling completely natural and acceptable, neither put off by it. But now, with Yukio obviously still recovering and sensitive to his actions, it was  _ extremely  _ difficult to stay gentle with him. Ichigo left his mouth lightly pressed to Yukio’s neck, trembling a bit as he held back from increasing the pressure. Finally, he actually pulled back, his body tense as he looked down on both of them. “Love you both - so much - I just need a second,” he said quietly, the conflict obvious in his strained voice. 

Yukio looked up at him, concern clear in glazed emerald eyes. “Ichigo… what’s wrong?” he murmured, reaching up to place his hand on the side of Ichigo’s neck. 

Ichigo shook his head, offering Yukio a smile. “Nothing, Yukio. I just - I don’t know if Toshiro told you, but… Our zanpakuto have influence over how we think, when we don’t have experience ourselves. Apparently, Tensa isn’t exactly gentle with this sort of thing, and I don’t want to hurt you,” he explained. 

Yukio was a bit confused by the information, his mind struggling to wrap around such a thing when he himself couldn’t fathom such influence. “I… okay. It’s okay, you haven’t hurt me, but if you feel like you need a minute… that’s okay,” he said quietly, dropping his hand but keeping his eyes toward Ichigo as he fully sat up, settling on his knees between both of their legs. 

Toshiro sat up as well, kneeling behind Yukio to reach over him, his hand cupping Ichigo's jaw as he looked into his beautiful amber eyes. Focusing on Yukio had brought him mostly back to himself and Ichigo's words even more so, saying, "I thought there was  _ something  _ behind how rough you were being. I'm sorry I was too out of it to help you separate…" 

Toshiro sighed, continuing, "I think it's easier for me, Hyourinmaru and I are completely different in this regard - I tend to want to be taken care of while he wants to be the one taking care. It's how we've existed together for so long, it's how we're most comfortable now, even in this context. But you and Tensa… You used to constantly fight and though that's behind you, you both have that similar aggression within you, so I can imagine it's far more difficult to sort out what reactions are his and not yours. Just… If something feels  _ wrong,  _ it's because it's Tensa's instinct and something  _ you _ wouldn't do. So try to listen to that. But you can be rough with me, Ichigo," Toshiro grinned, "You're not going to hurt me."

Ichigo chuckled, his mind completely distracted from his need with his mental struggle. “Yeah, I know. And I mean… it wasn’t a problem, until it was. I know that sounds stupid, but the roughness really  _ did  _ feel like me, for a while. Where it became an issue was when I  _ knew  _ Yukio probably couldn’t handle it, but some part of me wanted to keep doing it. Sorry, I didn’t mean to break up the moment or anything. If I didn’t stop… I was afraid I might actually hurt him,” he said, bringing his hand to the back of his head and giving a strained grin.

Toshiro shook his head, "You  _ wouldn't  _ actually hurt Yukio, I'm certain. It's exactly why you stopped. It wasn't something  _ you  _ would do and it felt wrong, even if usually yours and Tensa's desires and habits are compatible. Tensa's mate is Hyourinmaru, it makes sense that he doesn't have any fear in harming him. But Yukio is human, which you're well aware of, and you knew to stop. Just trust yourself, Ichigo. You did well - the entire time." 

Toshiro chuckled a bit, "I really should have been more helpful so if anyone needs to apologize, I guess it should be me. It was so wonderful though, if odd, to just  _ stop  _ thinking all the time. I've never felt so relaxed. My whole body felt like it was tingling and I couldn't not answer you or do as you said. I think I would have snapped out of it, had you had me do something against my nature - like  _ me  _ being rough with Yukio - but I don't think you'd ever request such a thing anyway."

Ichigo took a deep breath, calming and gathering his thoughts -  _ his  _ thoughts. He gave a much more genuine smile as he leaned in to kiss them both, Toshiro’s cheek and Yukio’s forehead, as he was still leaning against and supported by Toshiro’s body behind him. “It’s fine, Toshiro. You deserve to let go like that, as much as you’re always doing for everyone else and not taking care of yourself. Now, I think I’m alright, and I still can’t stand how sexy both of you are right now,” he said, still grinning as he claimed Toshiro’s lips and pressed hard enough to guide him back onto his back on the bed, guiding him down with Yukio not resisting, relaxing on top of him. 

The hand that wasn’t braced on the bed wandered down Yukio’s body while his lips parted and gained immediate access to Toshiro’s mouth. Ichigo’s actions grew rather brazen, his hand not missing a single inch of Yukio’s body, especially as the other man began to react with small, pleasured sounds. His touch lightly brushed over Yukio’s half hard cock, bringing about a low groan as the contact drove desire into him again. Ichigo focused there for a moment, slowly running his open hand up and down the length, moaning into Toshiro’s mouth as it further hardened with the attention. 

When his own desire became nearly too much again after the brief distraction, Ichigo broke away from Toshiro’s mouth and withdrew his hand, pleased to see that both of them seemed rather lost again. For some reason he couldn’t identify, it actually brought him quite a bit of heated satisfaction to see them both that way. He sat up completely again, his hand lightly stroking Yukio’s side. “I want to see you both enjoying each other, but I know I’m not going to be able to stand just watching,” he said with a light laugh. 

“So, Yukio, come here,” he added gently, bringing both arms around him and pulling him up toward him. “And turn around toward Toshiro,” he instructed, guiding him to do so with Yukio’s knees straddling Toshiro’s hips. He slid as close as he could, his chest against Yukio’s back. “And now, Toshiro can take you… while I take Toshiro from here,” he said lowly, his voice husky just  _ saying  _ such a thing. “Is that alright?” he asked, his hands on Yukio’s shoulders as he reached around to kiss his cheek, amber eyes directing down to Toshiro for a response as Yukio nodded and gave what was obviously a needy whine.

Toshiro’s eyes widened at the suggestion, realizing instantly that  _ he'd  _ be stimulated directly by  _ both  _ of these gorgeous men. "I honestly don't know how long I'll hold out, but I'll try," Toshiro whispered, desire surging through him so strong that his hands trembled, coming to Yukio’s hips. He hadn't properly seen him before and he was  _ beautiful,  _ all sensual lean muscle perfectly proportioned to his size. "You're stunning, Yukio…" Toshiro murmured out, heated teal eyes tracing his body, aching to actually  _ feel  _ him around him as Ichigo wanted. 

Yukio blushed rather heavily under Toshiro’s scrutiny, just as he had when Ichigo had done the same. It was still difficult to believe that either of these men actually thought these things about him, but it was clear that every word was true - their eyes couldn’t lie. 

Ichigo smiled, fully agreeing as one hand ran down the front of Yukio’s body. With his body almost fully leaned against him, he realized that Yukio was actually  _ warm.  _ He didn’t know how it didn’t occur to him before, but he pulled him a bit closer for a moment, giving a low hum at the sensation. “You’re actually  _ warm,  _ Yukio. Do I feel cold to you?” he whispered in his ear.

Yukio shook his head, honestly still quite lost in the sensation of Ichigo’s body against his back and Toshiro’s desirous gaze. “No - not cold - just -” his voice cut off with a groan as the first word that came to his mind was “- sexy.” 

Ichigo chuckled a bit, ducking his head to gently kiss Yukio’s neck.  _ “You’re  _ sexy, Yukio - both of you are,” he said, his breath ghosting across Yukio’s neck and causing the smaller man to shiver a bit. “I’m going to let you get settled with Toshiro first, alright? I’ll hold you like this, if you want,” he tightened his arm around Yukio’s body, “But otherwise, I’m going to let you go as slow as you need to.”

Yukio nodded, his hand coming up to grasp Ichigo’s where it was settled on his upper abs, silently telling him that he wanted him to keep his arm around him. “Are you… are you ready, Toshiro?” he asked, somewhat glassy emerald eyes coming down to meet with teal.

Ready seemed like such an inadequate word. But Toshiro answered him all the same, "Yes, Yukio - I honestly can't articulate how much I want you. You're so sexy, so beautiful, so  _ warm…" _ Toshiro groaned, his hands sliding against heated skin, realizing he was about to be  _ surrounded  _ by Yukio's far warmer body and he honestly didn't know how he was possibly supposed to last through that  _ and  _ take Ichigo. He breathed deeply, concentrating on the breath. He'd always been skilled at meditation and he realized he was likely going to need to lean on that skill here, his breathing and heart rate calming a bit but his desire still just as strong. 

Yukio nodded, lifting his hips, trembling a bit as he reached under him to position Toshiro’s hard, leaking cock at his entrance, which was still a bit wet from the ice Ichigo had used to prepare him. He sank down onto him a bit, supported by Ichigo’s arm around him. His breath quickened as his heart began to race, his eyes falling half-lidded in pleasure as he began to shift a bit on Toshiro’s cock, not taking him further just yet but becoming accustomed to the feeling of  _ Toshiro  _ inside him.

Toshiro moaned brokenly, desperately fighting down the wave of pleasure that crashed over him. Yukio’s body was tight and so hot around him. He desperately wanted to thrust into him but forced his hips still, allowing Yukio full control of the pace. "So - so good - so beautiful - Yukio…" Toshiro breathed out, the words barely intelligible through his constant, low moans. Hooded, dark teal eyes watched as Yukio’s small body took more of him, slowly, and he panted with the effort of keeping still, utterly transfixed at the sight. 

Ichigo was having a hard time keeping still himself, desperately wanting to take Toshiro already, but realizing that Yukio was actually leaning into his arm pretty heavily, especially as pleasure overtook him as he lowered himself slowly onto Toshiro’s cock. He took shaky breaths that were meant to be calming but only caused heat to flood him, especially with Yukio’s contrastingly warm body against him. 

Yukio was nearly limp in Ichigo’s grasp, only holding himself up to be sure that he wouldn’t sink too quickly onto Toshiro. But it was becoming a bit unbearable, and he quickened his pace, realizing that he certainly wasn’t hurting himself. He began a slow, steady pattern of thrusts that had him easing down a bit faster, only pausing when he felt his body resisting a bit, and he gave a shuddering moan when he was  _ finally  _ fully seated on Toshiro’s body, leaning back against Ichigo’s chest for a moment as a wave of pleasure washed over him. 

Toshiro’s moans were far closer to whines now that Yukio’s body was wrapped completely around him. He panted, barely holding back, overwhelmed by pleasure. His voice was strained and needy as he gasped out, "Yukio - so tight - so hot - ahn…" He  _ needed  _ Yukio to move but if he actually did, he knew he wouldn't last, so he attempted to find his calm again, as impossible as that was proving to be, the heat from Yukio’s body  _ demanding _ his attention. 

Ichigo allowed Yukio only a moment before he shifted his arm around him and pushed him forward a bit, angling his upper body over Toshiro and telling him, “Put your hands on his chest if you need to.” Yukio did just that, seemingly without much thought, and Ichigo absolutely couldn’t contain his own desire any longer. “I’m going to take you, Toshiro, and I’m  _ not  _ going to go slow,” he warned with a low growl tracing his husky voice. He really didn’t think he  _ could  _ be gentle right now, and he was glad it was Toshiro he had planned to do this to, so he didn’t have to be. 

He shifted back just enough to slide off both his pants and boxers rather hurriedly, not concerned at all where they ended up as he tossed them behind him. He positioned himself at Toshiro’s entrance, groaning heavily as soon as he breached his tight body. With only two hard, unbridled thrusts, he fully sheathed himself in Toshiro’s body, cutting off a cry as the walls surrounding him shuddered and spasmed nearly immediately. 

It was far too much for Toshiro. Yukio seated tight and hot around him, Ichigo driving  _ hard  _ and so wonderfully filling his own body - neither sensation something he had any experience with - shoved him so fast into climax he couldn't even warn either of his partners, only yell as he came so hard his vision faded for several seconds, head thrown back, his hands shaking and clenched around Yukio’s narrow hips. He whined, completely over stimulated at still feeling them both in and around him as he came down, panting and shaking, blushing heavily in both pleasure and embarrassment at coming so fast. When his voice worked properly again, he gasped out, "S-sorry… I just… Too much…"

Ichigo had - somehow - held on through the spasms of Toshiro’s body around him, really only frustrated by the fact that his body didn’t cooperate with what he wanted. Not at all frustrated with Toshiro. What had happened was completely understandable. Hearing Toshiro’s whine, though, similar to the sound he had made after coming before, he placed a gentle hand on Yukio’s back, his voice strained as he said, “Go on and get off of him, and I’ll come out, too. Don’t think it feels too good anymore.”

Yukio nodded, whimpering as he lifted his hips to let Toshiro’s cock slide from his body. Before he had even settled again, though, Ichigo’s hand on his back was applying a bit of gentle pressure, pushing him forward. 

“Can I take you instead? Fuck, I need to come,” Ichigo groaned from behind Yukio.

Yukio’s heart skipped at the suggestion, but he couldn’t help but admit he certainly wasn’t opposed to it. “Yes - what do you need me to do?” he asked quietly. 

“Just - lean forward, you can leave your hands there if Toshiro’s good with that. You don’t even have to move much otherwise. I’ll be gentler with you, don’t worry,” Ichigo replied, the hand on Yukio’s back soothingly stroking up and down his warm, smooth skin. 

Yukio did as Ichigo said, following the slight pressure of his hand on his back, though he did move his hands to settle on either side of Toshiro’s head instead of on his chest as he was lowered until his chest was nearly touching Toshiro’s. He reached the small distance to kiss Toshiro’s cheek, smiling at just how lost he still seemed, though he at least seemed a bit aware of what Ichigo was doing - or about to do.

Toshiro leaned into Yukio's gentle kiss with a smile, teal eyes opening and widening as he took in his position and Ichigo moving to kneel behind the small blonde. As spent as he was, he still groaned at the sight, his still shaking hands coming to wrap around Yukio’s upper body, pushing him to rest fully against him and fingers threading into soft golden hair. His eyes locked on Ichigo positioning himself behind Yukio's ass, the image entirely erotic, Yukio’s back arched, his knees on either side of Toshiro’s body. He felt entranced as Ichigo's far larger body began to sink into Yukio, far more gently than he'd taken himself. 

Ichigo had to brace his hands on Yukio’s hips as he sank into Yukio’s incredibly tight, hot body. And as much as hot also meant sexy in Ichigo’s mind, Yukio’s body around him was  _ hot,  _ making legitimate, searing warmth spread under Ichigo’s skin the further he let himself press in. And Yukio was pressing against his hands, trying to make him take him further, which Ichigo had to fight the urge to do. It was already nearly mind-numbing just to be inside him - taking him faster would certainly make him come quickly - but he refused to even entertain the possibility of hurting him. He began a slow rhythm of thrusts, easing in as he had watched Yukio do when he controlled the pace with Toshiro, and the movement had him groaning and whining desperately.

Yukio buried his face in Toshiro’s hair, panting as Ichigo gently took him, the pressure within him that was already nearing a peak with Toshiro flooding him with no mercy. “Ichigo - ah - so - so close,” he whimpered, clutching at the blanket on either side of Toshiro’s head. His voice completely escaped his control, the only thing he could really even feel being Ichigo thrusting into him, impossibly full and deep. 

Ichigo barely heard Yukio’s desperate words, muffled as they were by Toshiro’s hair and Yukio’s own desire. Ichigo groaned heavily when he was finally fully sheathed inside Yukio’s body, pausing there and running one hand down the smaller man’s back. “Fuck - Yukio - I won’t last - so hot,” he said, his voice low and barely surfacing around the tension in his body. With another breath, trembling as it was, he began to move within Yukio again, crying out when Yukio’s body clenched around him with the action. “Yes - Yukio - don’t hold back,” he said.

With Ichigo’s thrusts, effortlessly hitting the same spot he had found with the ice, it took only one more after Ichigo’s direction to not hold back for him to be pulled over the edge, his body pressing down onto Toshiro’s and his hips tilting back against Ichigo. He bit his bottom lip to keep from actually screaming so close to Toshiro’s ear, but a long, low moan escaped instead as the initial wave of pleasure waned into equally blissful aftershocks.

Ichigo was powerless against his own orgasm as Yukio’s body tightened around him, and he buried himself deep, as deeply as he could, as he filled Yukio with his release. His hands braced themselves on Yukio’s lower back, not applying pressure but giving him a grounding point as the aftershocks raced through his body, causing his cock to twitch in that blinding heat. He began to catch his breath as they faded, and he gently pulled out of Yukio’s body, guiding him down to the bed with him as he all but collapsed next to him, Yukio’s head still on Toshiro’s shoulder and one leg still strung over him. He held Yukio to him with one arm while his other hand found its way to Toshiro’s hair, threading into soft white strands.

Toshiro sat up, guiding Yukio to rest more fully against Ichigo’s body, smiling as the small blonde nuzzled against Ichigo’s chest, both coming down together. He grabbed his yukata, cleaning off himself and parts of Yukio from the blonde's release. He tossed the material away again and leaned over both to kiss Yukio’s cheek and the corner of Ichigo's mouth, letting out a startled sound as Ichigo wrapped his arm around him, pulling him against the other side of his chest and dropping a kiss onto his hair. 

Toshiro chuckled lightly, placing his ear over Ichigo's heart, his hand coming to entwine his fingers with the hand Yukio had placed over Ichigo's hard abs as he kissed Yukio’s nose so near to his lips. "You have  _ no  _ idea how sexy it was, watching you two over me like that," Toshiro said, grinning as he saw the expected blush creep adorably over Yukio’s face. 

Yukio buried his face in Ichigo’s chest, whining embarrassedly at Toshiro’s comment. Ichigo chuckled and tightened his arm around Yukio. “I’m glad, Toshiro, because really in hindsight I thought we might be suffocating you a little,” he admitted. He gave a contented sigh, closing his eyes for a moment and just feeling the two of them against his chest, completely at peace this way. “Oh, Toshiro, it’s okay. You said sorry, when you finished so fast. I didn’t really have a mind to respond, but it’s fine. I don’t know what I was thinking, putting you through all that. But I also didn’t know Yukio was so much damn hotter than us,” he added with a light laugh.

"The temperature difference is definitely going to take some practice being able to last long at all, even without you taking me at the same time - which you're definitely doing again, just as rough because that felt amazing," Toshiro said with hum, tilting his head to kiss Ichigo's collar bone. "There was no way between that and Yukio being so ridiculously hot and tight that I could possibly hold back, but I'm not going to say I didn't thoroughly enjoy it or that I don't want to try again sometime, see if I can't last longer. So don't you dare apologize for 'putting me through all that' - that was fantastic."

Ichigo chuckled again at Toshiro’s rather stern tone with his last statement. “Alright, Hitsugaya-taicho, you be mister ambitious whenever you want. I don’t think Yukio or I will mind,” he said teasingly.

"Oh so  _ now  _ you use my title - if only I had known before all it took was sex to get you to call me that," Toshiro said, his tone flat but he was grinning, giving Yukio a wink when the other looked at him. 

Ichigo burst out laughing, sitting up rather abruptly, still holding Yukio against him but letting Toshiro fall back a bit to meet his eyes. “Okay, for one thing, you  _ know  _ I was mocking you, and for another thing, just how long ago could I have scored with you if that  _ was  _ the case? Because I’ve had a crush on you for a  _ while,”  _ he said, still smiling brightly as amber eyes looked into striking teal.

Toshiro’s expression softened as he said, "I don't know when I actually developed attraction to you - I always had buried anything close to that type of emotion. Relationships, especially physical ones, just aren't safe with me. But I've admired you since you came to prevent Rukia Kuchiki's execution and that only grew while I was in Karakura Town investigating the Espada. As much as you can frustrate me, I always liked you, Ichigo. That fondness only grew when I realized Shiba-taicho was your father - I felt closer with you then, even if we didn't speak often."

Ichigo’s grin tamed a bit with Toshiro’s explanation, and he brought his hand up from around his thin waist to thread it into his hair again, leaning to kiss the top of his head. “Well, then I guess if I’d been paying attention, I could’ve gotten laid a lot sooner,” he said, not being able to keep the teasing from his tone.

Toshiro chuckled, "Yes, you probably could have convinced me out of the thousands of problems I would have seen preventing a relationship between us from working - even before you became immune to my ice. And I would have been a huge pain to convince, as much as I would have wanted to be with you. Though, had you succeeded, we wouldn't have both fallen for Yukio," Toshiro said fondly, leaning forward to kiss Yukio’s nose. 

Yukio giggled, but was interrupted by Ichigo’s hand on his chin, lifting his eyes to him. 

“My thoughts exactly, and I think what we have, all three of us together, is pretty perfect,” Ichigo said softly, closing the distance to kiss Yukio’s lips gently, smiling when he found Yukio blushing as he pulled away. 

“I’m glad Ichigo is bad at talking to his crushes, too,” Yukio said with a grin, “Because then he might have been able to convince  _ me, _ if he thought a relationship with you was hopeless, Toshiro. So, really, we have Ichigo’s adorable shyness to thank for all of this.” He laughed when Ichigo was the one to blush rather heavily this time, reaching up to kiss his cheek before settling back against his chest with a contented sigh.

"You two being together would have been far easier than Ichigo and I trying to be together before this happened to our inner worlds. Captains are so rarely sent to the Living World because of our power and the necessity of the seal. We're really only sent when our power is needed - which isn't often. I would love to physically visit Ichigo the way you'll be able to, Yukio…" Toshiro said with a sigh. "I'm starting to really like the idea of real dates…" 

“We talked through this, Toshiro. We’ll be together in the Living World every time you’re sent on a mission,” Yukio reminded him, really not liking the melancholy turn Toshiro’s expression was taking.

“And hey, I can sneak into the Soul Society sometimes, too,” Ichigo suggested, his unrelenting smile never fading.

"The last time you  _ snuck  _ into Soul Society you used a canon," Toshiro deadpanned. "Although,  _ I  _ could probably help you actually visit without anyone knowing, but not without you mastering control over your Reiatsu - like I said, it's like the sun. You aren't subtle, Ichigo."

Ichigo laughed, but brought his hand to Toshiro’s cheek to guide him into a kiss. “If it means being able to visit the two of you, I’ll do anything, alright? I’ll just have to spend a  _ lot  _ of time here with you and Hyourinmaru training me, because Tensa sure as hell doesn’t know how to control Reiatsu,” he said when he pulled away.

"Well of course he doesn't - he only knows what you do about skills that are unrelated to your personal abilities and power. Hyourinmaru couldn't help me master my Reiatsu either, other than being there for me when it was too dangerous for anyone else to be near me. You shouldn't be so harsh on him, Ichigo - you're literally just being harsh on  _ yourself.  _ It's alright to need help, especially in learning new techniques," Toshiro said, a slight frown on his face though his eyes remained warm. 

Ichigo scoffed lightly. “I  _ am  _ harsh on myself, in case you haven’t noticed. I hate not knowing things, and it’s frustrating that there’s so  _ much  _ that I don’t know. Add to that the fact that I grew up never asking anyone for help, because I wanted to be there for everyone else, and I just get stuck clueless a lot of the time,” he replied, averting his eyes a bit to avoid Toshiro’s gaze.

Toshiro cupped his cheek, not forcing him to look at him but encouraging, saying softly, "Well, you have me now. And Hyourinmaru when I'm not able to be in our world - he knows what I know and he's a patient teacher. He's also able to always communicate with me, no matter what I'm doing, and I him, so you can always reach me. We may even be able to learn how to speak to one another that way… 

"Anyway, I don't need you to be strong all the time or to solve my problems. I'm fully capable. You being here for me is literally you  _ being here,  _ giving me someone to be close to. Only Hyourinmaru could really give me that before - and in a real way, he  _ is  _ me, so it's not quite the same. You have no idea what you and Yukio both mean to me - that you can actually  _ hold  _ me and I  _ can't  _ hurt you… 

"I've lived decades, Ichigo, feeling anxiety every time someone touched me. Please allow me to help you, I  _ want  _ to help you control and master your power. I  _ want  _ you to stay with us in Soul Society as often as possible - I can even look into you being able to stay as Yukio does… You're already a full shinigami with Captain class powers and mastery over your Bankai, qualities we sorely need after so many Divisions lost their Captains… I wouldn't want to stop you from living out your life as a human though, if that's what you wanted…"

Ichigo listened, eyes still directed away until Toshiro’s last few statements, at which point he slowly turned, trying to sort through what he said and really trying to be sure that he understood what exactly he was implying. “Wait… are you saying you could see if they’d make me a Captain?” he asked, his voice hopeful but cautious, because  _ surely  _ that wasn’t what he was saying. Why in the world would anyone want someone like  _ him  _ to be a Captain?

Toshiro smiled, "There are three ways to become a Captain. The first is the most common, passing the taishu - a proficiency test where you demonstrate your ability to perform Bankai before at least three current Captains and the Captain-Commander. You have already done this numerous times, Ichigo."

Ichigo’s eyes widened, but he still didn’t want to really get his hopes too high. “But, I mean, I’m sure that’s not all. There’s gotta be too many people that would be against  _ me  _ being a Captain. Pretty sure a lot of the people in the Soul Society don’t like me too much, since I keep causing problems and breaking stuff,” he said with a chuckle.

Toshiro laughed lightly, "The Eleventh Division breaks what you did daily. And really, you've only  _ solved  _ problems for Soul Society, you've never caused them. It was a very good thing you came to prevent Rukia Kuchiki's execution. It gave me the time and distraction I needed to investigate Central 46, even if I was too late in the end. And you forced Aizen into action before he had the complete Hogyoku. 

"You even solved the problem your predecessor posed and in doing so, saved the remaining Fullbringers from his control - including Yukio. I think you would be surprised how most in Soul Society feel about you. You're highly respected at the very least but most shinigami, especially the ones that know you, actually like you, Ichigo. Yukio has been there for two months now and I'm sure he's only heard the same, if you think people would not gossip around a Captain about you."

Yukio looked up at Ichigo, who was looking down at him curiously. “He’s right. He wouldn’t lie to you, you know that. There’s actually a group of them that considers you a friend, Ichigo. You definitely wouldn’t be hated. Though… speaking of gossip… I have a feeling word would get around pretty quickly if the three of us were spending so much time together,” Yukio pointed out.

Ichigo’s smile only widened. “Let them talk all the shit they want to, they’d just be jealous,” he insisted.

Toshiro sighed, "I suppose I'll need to get used to at least some public displays of affection in Soul Society if you become a Captain - I don't think you could resist completely with either of us being near to you. But you  _ will  _ behave during Captain's meetings," Toshiro said with a glare, though the expression didn't reach his eyes. 

Ichigo was still grinning when he turned to Toshiro and said, “Deal, but I can’t promise immediately before or immediately after.”

Toshiro brought a hand up to his temple, sighing and leaning into it in fond exasperation. "At least I'll have less paperwork. Half of what I'm doing comes from the Captain-less Divisions." He dropped his hand to smile at Yukio, "Combine that with having a capable third seat and I  _ may  _ finally have a normal workload."

Ichigo feigned a rather insulted expression. “Wait, I’d have to do  _ paperwork?  _ That might be a deal-breaker,” he teased. When he was given that same half-hearted glare, he laughed. “You know I’m kidding, Toshiro. But damn, between all the training and actually having to  _ work,  _ I don’t know when we’re ever going to have time for dates,” he said, still obviously teasing, amber eyes full of amusement.

Yukio shook his head, giving Ichigo a fond smile. “Toshiro has plenty of time, even with everything he does now, though with how exhausted he had been for a while, all he did when he wasn’t working was eat and sleep. Really, I can’t imagine how much free time you would both have if there was  _ less  _ work to do,” he assured him.

"I'd have someone to physically train my mature Bankai with too…" Toshiro said, as if thinking aloud. "Also, Ukitake-taicho and Kyoraku-taicho are both Captains of different Divisions and they manage just fine."

Ichigo’s mind stumbled a bit on that comment. “Wait, you mean, they’re  _ together -  _ like we’re together kind of together?” he asked a bit incredulously.

Toshiro nodded, "Kyoraku-taicho flirts a lot but that's just his personality, really. Ukitake-taicho seems to find it endearing somehow. They've been together for centuries."

Ichigo was still a bit taken aback, what with Toshiro speaking of this like it was the most obvious thing in the world, which perhaps it would have been if Ichigo had been around the two Captains more under less stressful circumstances. “Okay then, I guess it won’t be the first time two Captains have been together. Though, as much as you used to glare at me, people might be a bit shocked that it’s  _ us  _ together,” he pointed out.

Toshiro frowned, as if something just occurred to him, "Just - no matter who's asking, please don't tell anyone that our inner worlds merged. We can say our relationship started back when I was on extended mission in Karakura Town but I don't want anyone knowing you have access to Hyourinmaru - which means we wouldn't speak of it outside of home or here either, Yukio."

Ichigo’s expression sobered instantly, and he nodded. “Of course. I’m sure they’d try to do something to separate us back into our own inner worlds, which wouldn’t normally be a problem, but there’s no way in hell I’m letting anyone separate Tensa and Hyourinmaru,” he agreed. 

Yukio nodded as well, saying softly, “I wouldn’t have ever mentioned it anyway, not knowing how it really works. Honestly, I figured this broke all kinds of rules.  _ Me  _ being here probably isn’t really right, either.”

Toshiro nodded, saying softly, "It's highly illegal, actually. When I was in Academy, I actually had someone I considered a real friend. He gained access to Hyourinmaru, could even wield him as I could. We didn't know why or how such a thing had happened, we were happy to share the same spirit. Didn't even think to conceal it. Central 46 - they only allowed one of us to live. It's taboo. I have no idea why but I won't go through that again. I'm certain separating our inner worlds is impossible now - there may seem to be physical divisions, snow and skyscrapers, but if you could sense the Reiatsu as I do… It's completely interwoven and intertwined, impossible to fully separate. Far more so now that Tensa bonded with Hyourinmaru. So  _ no one  _ but us can know."

Ichigo’s gaze softened at the pained reminiscence in Toshiro’s eyes, and he pulled him back to lean fully against his chest, running his hand up and down his arm as he held him. “Don’t worry, Toshiro. We won’t say anything. If anything happened to either of you, I don’t know what I would do. And I don’t even want to  _ think  _ about what would happen to either Tensa or Hyourinmaru if they were forced to separate, or worse watch their mate be destroyed. It  _ won’t  _ happen. I won’t let it,” he promised, leaning down to kiss both Toshiro’s and Yukio’s cheeks in turn. 

Toshiro nuzzled into Ichigo's chest, listening to the sound of his steady heartbeat. Yukio had tightened his hold on his hand and Toshiro leaned forward slightly, allowing his forehead to touch Yukio’s, whispering, "You two mean more to me than I ever thought I could care about anyone. I adore Tensa as well and am so happy Hyourinmaru has him as his mate. I can't lose any of this, not now that I know exactly what I'd be losing. I love you both, so much."

Yukio smiled and tilted his face the slight bit it took to gently kiss Toshiro’s lips. “I love you both, too, and really what you’re willing to do to keep us together means the world to me. I know we were all worried about the separation, the times when we couldn’t be together, but I was actually really concerned that it might harbor jealousy between us, doing things separately. I was… hoping Ichigo wouldn’t resent me because I got to spend nights with you, and I hoped you didn’t get too upset that I got to visit him in the Living World. But you solved all that, and we can actually be  _ together  _ now.”

Ichigo tightened his hold around both of them, leaning his cheek on Yukio’s hair and pressing a light kiss to Toshiro’s, the two so close he hardly had to move to do so. “I’m going to protect this - and the two of you - any way that I can. I know you said I didn’t have to worry about being there for anyone, Toshiro, that you were capable of doing things yourself, but I can’t  _ not  _ protect what I love, and I love you both, and this world, and Tensa and Hyourinmaru, so I’m going to protect it all, no matter what,” he swore quietly. 

"Thank you, Yukio, Ichigo," Toshiro whispered. 

He'd never thought he'd actually have someone to hold - to hold  _ him  _ \- this way. And to have both of these beautiful men support him, be strong and capable enough to be there  _ for him  _ was far more than he could have imagined for himself. And not just him - Hyourinmaru, his gentle, powerful dragon, had gained a mate, had found love, and no longer lived in rarely broken solitude. 

Just like Ichigo swore, he too would protect this - all of this. 

And really, considering the skills and power between the three of them… they  _ would  _ protect this. 

He was certain. 


	7. Total Solar Eclipse ~ Acceptance

**__ **

**_Chapter 7: Total Solar Eclipse ~ Acceptance_ **

It had been several months, and Ichigo was steadily improving. Though he wasn’t going to be required to mask his Reiatsu if Toshiro’s plan worked, he knew it was a good skill to have. Really,  _ anything  _ Toshiro knew was a good skill to have, so he leaned heavily on both Hyourinmaru and the small Captain for guidance in his training. And he quickly realized that it wasn’t so much about  _ masking  _ his Reiatsu in order to hide, as it would have been if he had been sneaking into the Soul Society, but it was about  _ controlling  _ it and using it properly. 

As such, it had become increasingly simple to maintain jinzen for as long as he wanted, which meant longer training sessions and more time with both of his partners. And really, as good as the sex was, he found that just  _ being with them  _ brought him an unrivaled amount of peace and happiness. That, more than anything, was the reason he sincerely hoped that the Gotei 13 would have him as a Captain. The process had been started, applications and paperwork had been filed, and he was simply waiting for a decision. 

For now, though, he was killing time in his shared inner world, finally preparing for the battle he and Tensa had been promised. Of course, Tensa wasn’t going to forget or let it slide, but he had been patient with Toshiro as he completely regained his power and had a few sessions with Hyourinmaru in his mature bankai form to get his feet under him again after such a long break in training. Really, the half-hollow was highly observant of those training sessions, and not just because watching his mate fight was a spectacular sight to behold. He was taking note of Toshiro’s fighting style, specifically in that mature form, because it seemed to change the way he fought rather drastically. 

Ichigo’s ear had been filled with tidbits of information since he had arrived, since he hadn’t actually ever seen Toshiro fight in this form, never being strategy-minded enough to want to take note. But Tensa seemed to be taking this rather seriously, pointing out Toshiro’s strengths and weaknesses as though this was a real threat and not just a bit of training. He figured, though, that Zangetsu had always been that way. Even the hollow alone had a vast amount of strategy in his fighting style, even if it appeared haphazard and wild. Really, the spirit just refused to lose a fight, and would do anything to win, including taking careful note of his opponent. 

So, after a bit of preparation and a  _ lot  _ of listening to Tensa, he and Ichigo were standing side by side, hovering a good distance from the highest skyscraper, contrasting versions of Tensa Zangetsu’s blade in their hands. A fair distance from them was Toshiro, who had taken on his mature form and looked ridiculously confident while doing so. Ichigo had been a bit shocked by the change, readily admitting that the adult version of his lover was gorgeous, but he was more distracted by the sheer  _ power  _ he exuded. The heavy Reiatsu that flowed from him was like nothing Ichigo had ever felt before, and he had to actually gather himself a bit to not instantly be intimidated. 

“Alright, the little Fullbringer isn’t in the way, so we’re  _ not  _ holdin’ back,'' Tensa called across the distance, his voice more hollow than human and a wild grin curving his lips. He shifted his grip on the hilt of his sword, clearing itching to get started. 

“I would expect no less,” Toshiro replied, smirking a bit. He had insisted that Yukio stay behind for this particular visit to their inner world. With the number of long-range attacks they both had in their repertoire, it simply wasn’t safe for him to be present, even if Hyourinmaru had expressed his willingness to protect him during the fight. It would still be a distraction, even if Toshiro did trust his zanpakuto spirit to hold up his word and keep Yukio from harm. 

It took only another moment of tense silence for Tensa to become impatient, and with a swift nod to Ichigo, he burst into action, flashing completely out of sight and reappearing directly in front of Toshiro, blade raised above his head and swiftly brought down for a strike, which was deftly blocked. 

Toshiro’s arms barely quaked with the impact, and severe teal eyes bore into mismatched blue and gold. “I thought you weren’t holding back,” he shot, sliding the length of his blade along Tensa’s, the arcing motion creating a wave of ice that forced Tensa into retreat. Toshiro hardly had time to reset his position, though before a shift in Reiatsu told him that Ichigo was approaching from behind, the characteristic fluctuation with shunpo registering immediately. He met Ichigo’s black blade with his hand, a sheet of ice protecting his palm from damage. 

Ichigo’s eyes widened as the ice in Toshiro’s hand spread, encasing Tensa Zangetsu’s blade and steadily traveling down toward the hilt. He wrenched away from the contact immediately, actually struggling to release his sword from Toshiro’s icy grasp. As soon as he pulled away, though, Tensa was taking his place, attempting a blatant stab at Toshiro’s chest. With only a raise of his hand, a wall of ice separated Toshiro from his attackers, and Tensa was knocked away, his blade lodged in the ice that had so suddenly appeared. 

Tensa and Ichigo skipped back a bit to regroup, Ichigo glancing concernedly at the spirit until his weapon was wordlessly summoned back into his hand. “Shit, he hasn’t even  _ moved,  _ and we haven’t landed a single hit,” Ichigo complained. 

“That’s exactly the  _ point.  _ His mobility hasn't really  _ decreased  _ in this form, but he does stay still more than usual, saving energy since his stamina is next to nothing. If we can get him to move, use up some Reiryoku, maybe we can just wear him out. Getting past the damn ice is the problem. He can use that shit for  _ anything,”  _ Tensa proposed. 

“I have an idea,” Ichigo replied, taking Tensa’s arm and pulling him close enough to speak into his ear.

Toshiro dismissed the wall of ice that separated himself and his opponents, becoming a bit suspicious of their silence. As soon as he had, though, his eyes widened when a Reiatsu spike registered in his mind, and a wave of red and black energy was barreling toward him. The range was such that he didn’t even have time to bring back his defense, but in the half second it took to decide to retreat, Tensa was behind him, blade burying relentlessly into his back, impaling through his chest. He flicked his hand up weakly, at least guarding his face from the powerful Getsuga Tensho that stung the rest of his body with strong, unbridled Reiatsu. 

Tensa pulled his blade from Toshiro’s body before his ice had a chance to encase it, knowing that any contact with him would cause instant freezing. Having been guarded by Toshiro’s body and his own Reiatsu negating any damage from his own technique, Tensa escaped the encounter unharmed, pushing back on the Reiatsu in the air to put some distance between himself and what was sure to be an angry Toshiro. Suddenly movement in front of Toshiro arrested his attention, though, and all he had a chance to do was call, “King, you’re an  _ idiot!” _

Ichigo had barreled toward Toshiro in the wake of his Getsuga Tensho, acting against their initial plan to keep their distance and assess after each attack. Toshiro heard Tensa’s outburst, looking up to find Ichigo now only inches from him, zanpakuto extended. Instinct took over at that point, and Toshiro leaned to the side, the black blade grazing his left arm. In the same instance, Toshiro plunged Hyourinmaru into Ichigo’s shoulder, halting his motion instantly. He shifted his weight to bring both hands to his sword’s hilt, using the control that afforded him to throw Ichigo to the surface of the snow-covered skyscrapers below them. 

Before he even had a moment to recover, though, a horrible scream had his eyes widening, the sound blood-curdling and causing the hair on the back of his neck to stand on end. A harsh grip on his ice-covered right wrist caught his attention - he had hardly felt the unbelievably rapid shift with Tensa’s impressive shunpo - and he was captured by a glowing golden eye. 

Tensa didn’t care at all about the ice that was traveling over his hand and up to his wrist, fully intending to use the forced proximity to his advantage. It only barely stung anyway, here in their inner world, so it didn’t even faze him. He had complete control of Toshiro’s sword arm, which was really only half comforting, knowing he could control his ice regardless. At least, in the moment of first contact, he had the element of surprise. So, he treated the Captain to the same assault Toshiro had his King, impaling him yet again, this time below his chest, avoiding the ice that had formed to cover his previous wound. 

Toshiro knew he was using a massive amount of Reiryoku, between maintaining this form at all and being forced to endure so much damage, his body involuntarily protecting his injuries with only more ice, which drained even more energy. He really had hardly moved, but still it was exhausting to train this way. When Tensa Zangetsu pierced him for a second time, he was powerless to defend, struggling even against Tensa’s grip on his wrist, which was solidified by the freezing qualities of his mature bankai. The Reiatsu that was consistently leaking from his body was causing some of the ice traveling up Tensa’s arm to lose its constitution, and he knew he was fighting a losing battle. Had it only been one of them, perhaps he would have stood a chance, but he was well aware that his weaknesses abounded in this form, not having completely mastered it yet. 

Tensa didn’t let up, the hollow within recognizing the fact that all he had to do was cinch the victory for his King, whose own recklessness had cost him. He wrenched the blade from within Toshiro’s body, the bloodthirst of the hollow reveling in the weak, strained cry the action elicited. With a laugh that reeked of a hollow’s scream, he threw Toshiro down to the skyscrapers, watching intently for any attempt at retaliation. When both on the ground were still, he used shunpo to approach, a smirk on his lips as he looked down on them and said, “I told you - I ain’t losin’.”

Ichigo chuckled weakly, pushing himself up from the snow and looking over at Toshiro, who was panting despite seeming like he hadn’t had to put in much effort. His increased skill at sensing Reiatsu, though, told him that Toshiro’s well was running dry  _ quickly,  _ just the energy required to maintain this mature form more than Ichigo had really realized. “Hey, Toshiro, you alright?” he asked, pulling himself over to sit next to where he was lying in the snow.

“Yeah…” Toshiro responded, still panting. “I… haven’t had to… deal with  _ wounds _ while… training by myself… I always use my ice… to instantly close them… didn’t expect that habit… to be so draining… in this form…”

Ichigo’s gaze softened, and he reached out to take Toshiro’s hand, not thinking about the consequences. But when ice  _ didn’t  _ start to form with the contact, he was actually concerned when it struck him that it should have. “You can rest now. I can tell you’re really weak right now,” he insisted, increasingly worried that Toshiro was still trying to maintain his mature form.

“I know… Just not looking forward to my _bones_ _resizing…”_ Toshiro muttered. He closed his eyes, his grip on Ichigo’s hand becoming tight as a vice as he released his mature bankai, falling out of bankai entirely and keening softly at the agony his body was put through. It was a familiar pain but he hated it - dreaded it each time. It was easier entering that form, the increase in his Reiatsu mostly mitigating the pain, but exiting meant he was channeling less Reiatsu, and the ache of both transformations hit him at once.

Ichigo returned the strength of Toshiro’s hand around his, grimacing at the sound he made in response to the obvious pain he was experiencing. He didn’t disturb him at all, though, until his weak, barely perceptible Reiatsu settled again, his body back to its usual size but trembling rather violently. Ichigo slid over and shifted to lie next to him, carefully taking him in his arms and holding him against his body, his grasp loose enough to assure that Toshiro wasn’t in more pain. “I don’t know if I can really help, but I’m here. Just rest, Toshiro,” he murmured, reaching down to kiss soft white hair.

“It’s nice to just not be  _ alone _ while recovering from that,” Toshiro murmured, his body still shaking but his breath coming back under control. “The pain will fade after a few minutes but I’ll be drained again until I eat and rest tonight. I really do hate that form - I feel so  _ weak _ but I also know I  _ need _ to train it. It’s frustrating that the form where I can use Hyourinmaru’s full power makes me so vulnerable and I need to get better. Having a real opponent was a far more difficult - but beneficial - way to train. I didn’t last nearly as long as I usually can in that form.”

Tensa smirked, saying, “I think you’re what’s called a glass cannon, Captain. All that power but when you take damage, it gets redirected to mitigating that and you burn through your reserves too fast. You need to either keep your defense always up or learn to  _ move. _ And as much as it obviously hurts, if you want to get any better, you should train that way more often,” Tensa said, his inverted Tensa Zangetsu sword fading from view as he placed his hands in the pockets of his long white coat.

Ichigo chuckled lightly, still holding Toshiro against him as his body calmed. “I would’ve had my ass beat if I had been alone. That form is plenty powerful, but I always knew I wasn’t as strong as Toshiro anyway,” he said, looking up at Tensa with a grin. He jerked a bit, though, when he felt a hand suddenly on his back, eyes jerking back to find Hyourinmaru in his human form, knelt next to him, silver eyes to his master curled into Ichigo’s body. 

“You did well today, master. But Tensa is correct. Training in your mature form will be easier over time, and if you train against Ichigo more often, progress will be seen quickly,” he agreed, bringing a clawed hand over Ichigo to run it through his master’s hair in a familiar, comforting motion.

Toshiro’s eyes slipped closed, leaning into his touch, never bothered by the feel of his claws. Hyourinmaru had first taken on this form to be able to comfort him when he was young and it still brought him an immense amount of comfort, the pain easing from his joints and bones. “I know,” he murmured, “and I will - if Ichigo agrees and he and Yukio are willing to take care of me while I recover. That was my largest obstacle before - I’m practically useless until I recover and that’s dangerous for a Squad Captain.”

Ichigo smiled and leaned down to kiss the top of Toshiro’s head again, avoiding Hyourinmaru’s hand in his hair. “You know we will. Pretty sure Yukio isn’t going to let you get out of bed for the rest of the day when we show up and you’re looking like this. I’ll stay with you in bed while he cooks for you, though. I still haven’t quite gotten to the point that I don’t burn  _ something  _ every damn time I try,” he said with a light laugh.

Toshiro chuckled as well, most of the pain gone, leaving only exhaustion in its wake. “I suppose we should return to him - I’m sure he’s trying his best to not be anxious while waiting on us. At least he’s seen me drained and exhausted several times now and isn’t as worried that I won’t recover quickly.”

Hyourinmaru removed his hand from his master’s hair and stood, approaching Tensa and kissing him softly before putting an arm around his waist and turning back to their masters. “Rest well, master. By now, I trust you know better than to try to overwork yourself,” he said with a vague grin lifting the corner of his lips. 

Ichigo smiled and sat up, bringing Toshiro up with him. “Even if he tried, you know Yukio and I wouldn’t let him,” he replied.

Toshiro shook his head, a fond smile on his lips as he said, “Yukio’s so efficient, now that he’s officially my third seat, we get through the day’s paperwork within an hour working together. I’ve never been this far ahead. And on days I need to recover from training, he doesn’t let me touch it, just handles it himself. I’ve actually been able to help with  _ recruit training _ \- something I always had to delegate entirely to Matsumoto. I don’t think my Squad has ever seen this much of me. My reputation for being cold and distant seems to be being slowly unraveled - not that I mind. They still respect me. 

“And everyone has been treating Yukio well. They were already used to him being around before and it’s obvious how competent he is, how much stress and workload he’s relieved from me. So, between the two of you, I’ve resigned myself to bed and rest. At least I don’t need to worry about falling behind with work now to allow myself to properly recover. And I know I could train more often - now that I have the two of you helping me. It used to take me a week to fully recover as I couldn’t allow myself to just  _ rest _ after training…”

Ichigo ran a hand up and down Toshiro’s back, feeling the smaller man’s strength slowly returning already. “Well, between Yukio doing your work for you and my stubborn ass  _ making  _ you stay in bed, you really don’t have much choice, even if you  _ wanted  _ to come up with some reason to get up and do anything. So, let’s get back to Yukio,” he insisted. He looked up at the two zanpakuto spirits, smiling at Hyourinmaru’s arm around Tensa. As stern as the man was, it was more than obvious that he had a huge soft spot for both Tensa and Toshiro. “See you two later,” he said as a goodbye, eliciting a half-bow from Hyourinmaru in response.

“As long as later isn’t until tomorrow, King,” Tensa said with a wink, turning into Hyourinmaru and bringing a pale white hand to thread through long teal locks.  _ “I _ won that fight, and I’m celebrating,” Tensa said, looking up to Hyourinmaru with heat in mismatched eyes.

Hyourinmaru couldn’t help but actually smile, the obvious desire in his mate’s expression and rampant Reiatsu causing the same feeling to gather in his own body. He had absolutely no concern for the other two present, knowing his master was well taken care of, and he brought his other arm up to wrap around Tensa’s shoulders, ducking his head to press his lips to the bonding mark on his mate’s neck, a low groan escaping him as he did so.

Tensa moaned immediately, tilting his head to more fully expose his neck, feeling his mate's desire for him, heightening his own and causing him to clutch desperately at his yukata, sharp nails already poking through the fabric though he knew not to threaten the smooth skin. He loved when Hyourinmaru did this, making him nearly insane with need and lust but still frozen from his contact with the mark. As soon as he released him though, he was going to direct all that passion at his mate and he trembled in anticipation.

Toshiro quickly kissed Ichigo’s jaw before slipping from his hold, settling into a seiza position as he said, “I do believe they aren’t waiting on us to leave,” chuckling at their zanpakuto’s complete lack of shame and how little they cared about what their master’s saw.

Ichigo’s face flushed lightly as he tore his eyes away from the two spirits and nodded, crossing his legs before him and resting his hands on his knees. “See you on the other side, Toshiro,” he said quietly, smiling as he closed his eyes. 

Toshiro watched Ichigo successfully fall out of jinzen before glancing over at the mated pair one last time, smiling at seeing Hyourinmaru so obviously enjoying affecting his mate through the mark. It honestly fascinated him how he was able to do so, but as Tensa released another desperate moan he decided he didn’t really want to see this propress any further as he closed his own eyes and slid out of jinzen.

Hyourinmaru kept his lips pressed to the bite on Tensa’s neck until he felt his master leave, not even having to look to recognize the familiar shift in Reiatsu as he returned to reality. He knew what was sure to happen as soon as he released the pressure, having learned Tensa’s tendencies over the months they had been bonded mates. With that expectation in mind, he pulled away from Tensa’s neck, immediately sweeping Tensa’s feet from under him and roughly taking him to the snow beneath them, instead claiming his mouth, demanding entry with his tongue and instantly receiving access, growling low in his throat as he pressed his body into Tensa’s under him.

Tensa responded immediately with tongue and teeth, meeting his force but playful, no real challenge as he nipped and sucked at Hyourinmaru's tongue and lips, constantly moaning in the back of his throat. His hands were moving to remove the yukata, deftly untying the obi around his waist and pushing the fabric from strong shoulders, wasting no time in pushing up the form-fitting undershirt, careful of his claws as Hyourinmaru had practically trained him to be. The hollow part of him was satisfied with being less violent as long as the material was  _ gone  _ as soon as possible. When he rapidly reached the point where Hyourinmaru would need to move away from him to finish removing the offending shirt, he keened in the back of his throat, tugging at the material. 

Hyourinmaru obliged the request, pulling away from Tensa’s mouth and allowing him to finish removing his clothing. Sharp silver eyes met with blue and gold, the pure desire for his mate clear in Hyourinmaru’s heated gaze. He carefully pulled a claw down the center of Tensa’s coat, really the only way to remove it easily - it was only Reiatsu anyway. His hand traveled down Tensa’s body, no pressure on his claws at all on the pale, pristine skin, and he kept commanding eye contact with Tensa as he sat up a bit to also remove Tensa’s pants and boots. 

When he returned to press his bare body flush with the one under him, he let his eyes slide shut and a low groan came up from his throat. “So beautiful, my mate. So good for me,” he said quietly, his silvery white eyes opening to rest on the most gorgeous creature he had ever seen. His mate was perfect in his mind, and nothing could ever convince him otherwise. He lowered his head to kiss along the side of Tensa’s neck opposite the bonding mark, letting his tongue pass his lips to taste and his teeth to press against the skin to tease.

Tensa presented his neck to his mate as well as he could, whining in need and flushing at the praise. He didn’t think it would ever not affect him, being praised by such a magnificent creature - as either a man or dragon, his mate was perfect to him. So completely gorgeous and strong, so adoring, attentive, loving but gloriously possessive. Tensa  _ belonged _ to this man and that thought never ceased to fill him with joy and desire. “‘Maru,” he whimpered, “need you, ‘Maru - I’ll be good - want to be so good for my mate - yours, ‘Maru - please -”

Hyourinmaru hummed into Tensa’s skin at the desperate words, never ceasing to love hearing and feeling his submission to him. He messily kissed up Tensa’s neck burying his nose in wavy white hair to murmur in his ear, “I will not keep you waiting long, but I refuse to hurt you. Remain patient while I quickly prepare you.” He had already produced the ice he had continued to use to prepare Tensa’s body, not waiting for a response as he reached down to gently nudge Tensa’s legs apart and delve it into his body, knowing that Tensa was not keen on taking his time - a thing the dragon was only willing to indulge because of his confidence that he wasn’t going to hurt his precious mate.

“Yes, ‘Maru!” Tensa cried out, his nails scraping along the metal and glass through the snow below him as he fought to keep his hips still - trying desperately to be patient as his dragon had instructed. He would be good, he’d do as his mate asked, and he’d reward him - Tensa was certain. Hyourinmaru was quick and efficient as he prepared him and Tensa was thankful because he just wanted  _ him _ \- as soon as possible. He would have skipped this entire step were it not for his powerful, gentle mate’s insistence on not hurting him - something Tensa  _ still _ had to wrap his head around someone being reluctant to do. But it only made him love him more, made him want desperately to be good for him, to continue being praised and cared for. 

He was panting from the effort of not moving against the ice within him; it felt good but not  _ enough _ and he needed  _ more _ \- he needed his  _ mate.  _ “‘Maru - please - need you -” he whimpered out, body trembling, “Please…” He was careful not to demand, only pleading, trying desperately to remain patient, to be good for him as he widened his legs further, opening and exposing himself as much as he possibly could, his head tilted back to keep his neck presented and vulnerable as he gazed up at him with glowing blue and gold eyes.

Hyourinmaru took as little time as possible, knowing Tensa’s limits by now and highly familiar with just how quickly he could complete this task without causing him pain. “Good, Tensa - so perfect - I love you so much, my mate,” he praised, his own voice somewhat clouded with desire. It wasn’t that he wasn’t ridiculously aroused, because he certainly was, but his threshold for control was much higher than Tensa’s, and he never did feel desperate, fully understanding and accepting that this was a  _ process,  _ and he would receive what he wanted given a small bit of time. 

It had only been a couple of short minutes, though Hyourinmaru knew Tensa’s mind had him convinced it had been hours, so he wasted no time pulling the ice from his body when he was confident that he was well prepared. Nearly immediately, he lowered himself over Tensa’s body and pressed himself in, taking only a few thrusts to fully seat himself, knowing that was exactly what Tensa wanted -  _ needed,  _ really. Their bond was actually quite primal in nature, and Tensa had expressed before that with that being the case, there was no chance at all for relief until he felt  _ him  _ inside him, any other pleasure simply frustrating.

Tensa relaxed instantly, sighing out in relief as Hyourinmaru sunk completely within his body. He loved feeling him there, feeling  _ complete _ and connected in a way he couldn’t possibly explain - but he knew he didn’t have to, that his mate could  _ feel _ what this did to him. His hands came up to firmly press against and feel Hyourinmaru’s gorgeous, strong body above him, the tension gone from them as his mate remained fully seated within him. He still wanted more, wanted to feel him fill him, but  _ this _ feeling even he didn’t want to rush through, finding indescribable peace and connection, murmuring out, “Love you, ‘Maru… Feels so good… So full… Yours, ‘Maru… My mate… My dragon…”

Hyourinmaru smiled softly down at Tensa, never ceasing to be amazed by the instant calm in his Reiatsu when he claimed his body. It gave him deep satisfaction that he couldn’t really fathom, knowing that just his presence in this way could tame such a beautifully wild man. He brought his head down again to nuzzle his nose lovingly against Tensa’s cheek, his lips brushing across his skin in the ghost of a kiss as he did so. “I love you, Tensa. You have always been so perfect - so wonderfully untamed - I love everything about you, my love,” he murmured, remaining still and allowing his mate to revel in the peace.

A continual, low humming sound escaped from the back of Tensa’s throat as Hyourinmaru gave him gentle affection, remaining still and deep within his body. His lips found every part of skin he could, playful but gentle with teeth and tongue. He knew his mate would soon move to claim him even more completely but thoroughly enjoying this moment of peace, using his mouth to express his own loving affection for his gloriously strong, caring, possessive mate. 

Hyourinmaru gave an approving hum as Tensa returned his affections, but as his mouth reached near his lips, he couldn’t help but take the opportunity to lock their mouths together, thoroughly but gently exploring Tensa’s mouth with his tongue. His breaths became a bit sharp and needy as his arousal came to the forefront of his mind, and he slowly began to thrust deeply into Tensa’s body, his rhythm steady but rather hard. He moaned into Tensa’s mouth at the feeling of the smooth, uninhibited motion, Tensa’s body always so inviting for him.

Feeling Hyourinmaru move within him, the hum in the back of Tensa’s throat became louder, the sound swallowed by his mate as he claimed both his body and his mouth. He met his level of passion with his own mouth and hips, allowing him full control over how rough or gentle this was - he loved being owned this way, completely at his mercy, his dual sides wanting both harsh claiming and gentle love and happy with either because he was  _ his _ and his mate knew what he needed, knew how to take care of him - far better than he knew himself. 

Hyourinmaru was quickly reaching his own peak, the sensation of full submission in Tensa’s Reiatsu compounding his own physical pleasure and pushing him rapidly to the edge. He broke away from Tensa’s mouth to take several deep, labored breaths, his pace increasing and becoming much less gentle as his body demanded release. He brought his mouth down to Tensa’s neck, groaning as his mate presented it to him with barely a touch. He ran his mouth over Tensa’s throat for a moment, his breath striking the skin harshly. Only seconds before he knew he would be claimed by his own orgasm, he shifted to press his mouth to the bonding mark, his teeth contacting but not biting again, and he groaned brokenly when Tensa’s body clenched around him with the immense pleasure, triggering his climax and filling his mate with his release.

Tensa screamed, hollow and human but he couldn’t hear it himself - couldn’t perceive  _ anything _ but shattering pleasure as he felt both his own and his mate’s mounting pleasure surge through him as Hyourinmaru pressed against the bonding mark, followed immediately by feeling  _ both _ climaxes. His hands clenched upon Hyourinmaru’s back as he arched into him, glowing blue and gold eyes unseeing and impossibly wide. The pleasure echoed through him as Hyourinmaru remained connected to the mark, not allowing him to come down, only continuing to cycle through him as his scream quieted, becoming a constant, high-pitched keen.

As Hyourinmaru felt himself calming from the aftershocks of his release, he slowly let up the pressure on the bonding mark, kissing up Tensa’s neck to his jaw, pulling away to take in his now half-lidded mismatched eyes and labored breaths. “Beautiful - so gorgeous - such a perfect, obedient mate. I could never say in words how much I love you, Tensa,” he said quietly, still close enough that he could easily lean in to kiss Tensa’s left cheek, shifting up only slightly to briefly press his lips to the hollow mask before withdrawing again. He loved giving Tensa that extra amount of affirmation, taking every chance to let him know that he loved and accepted every single bit of him.

Tensa shuddered and keened at the gentle, brief kiss to the hollow mask, his heart skipping at the amount of sincere love and acceptance in the action. “Love you, ‘Maru,” he breathed out, kissing and nuzzling his jaw. He moved to kiss and nip playfully at his lips, smiling in perfect contentment and the low hum returning in the back of his throat, still feeling his mate deep within him. He knew he would have to withdraw but adored that he stayed as long as he was able, knowing the peace and connection it brought him to be joined in this way with his mate.

Hyourinmaru met Tensa’s actions, unable to keep from gently subduing him, any banter - even unspoken - demanding his attention. But he knew Tensa loved his responses, their respective dynamics working so well together that it was impossible to misstep if they both just followed their instincts. It took several long minutes, and Hyourinmaru was reluctant to do so, but he felt himself slipping from within Tensa’s body, sighing a bit as he did. He rested his body over Tensa’s though, unwilling to lift himself from on top of him. Soon, though, he knew the exhaustion would catch up with him, and his human form would be too much to maintain, but he was intent to stay this way, able to easily lavish his mate with affectionate, soft kisses over his face for as long as possible.

Tensa leaned into each and every touch, his heart impossibly full, that low, contented hum never ceasing. His hands ran gently and reverently over his mate’s human body, enjoying the time he had to do so while he remained in this form. His skin was so smooth, the muscles beneath apparent and obvious and  _ strong _ \- such a perfect, capable, loving mate. His hollow side was never more content than in these moments, free entirely of hunger and Tensa felt so light, so incredibly sated and owned and loved, the hum growing a bit louder as he nuzzled his nose against his mate’s strong jaw.

Hyourinmaru let out a contented sigh, smiling as Tensa lovingly nuzzled against him, his hands gentle as they wandered his body over him. He could feel the utter peace in his mate’s Reiatsu, and these moments were something he wouldn’t give up for anything. Aside from his servitude to his master, he  _ lived  _ to please his mate. He leaned into Tensa’s pressure on his jaw, a touch of hesitance touching his heart as he felt his energy drained to the point that it was impossible to remain human. When his dragon form took over, though, the transformation involuntary at this point, he remained with his head rested on Tensa’s chest, careful not to put too much pressure on his body as he lay over him. He pressed his snout against Tensa’s jaw, giving a low rumble that mirrored the pleased hum Tensa had been seemingly mindlessly uttering since he had been subdued and satisfied.

Tensa laughed lightly, the sound free and clear, even with the underlying hollow scream, his hands not faltering at all as his mate changed forms over him. He stroked down his elongated face, smiling at seeing those large, ruby eyes blinking slowly and adorably with slight exhaustion and contentment. He pressed back against his snout, nuzzling the icy smooth scales with his jaw, humming again before saying lowly, “My beautiful dragon…” He tilted his face to kiss the end of his snout before nuzzling again with his right cheek and jaw, his hands still stroking reverently over the smooth, icy scales.

Hyourinmaru shifted a bit, returning the pressure of Tensa’s cheek reassuringly before lifting his head off of him completely, bringing his serpentine body around to support Tensa, comfortably coiling around him and using his thin tail to position him against him as he usually settled. His head still near him, he pressed his nose to Tensa’s cheek and brought his wing mostly over him as a habitually guarding action. “Rest now, my mate,” he said, his voice deep and tainted with the dragon’s rumbling tone.

Tensa passed his hand over the icy scales surrounding him, shifting his legs and smiling at feeling his mate’s smooth body slide against his bare skin in this form. Knowing King and his Captain wouldn’t be returning until the next day at the earliest, Tensa took advantage and snuggled further against him, remaining completely bare and allowing the right side of his head to rest fully against one of the coils around him, gazing adoringly with faintly glowing blue and gold eyes towards the large ruby red of his mate. As he lay still, eventually the motion of his hand against Hyourinmaru’s side slowed, eyes becoming heavy, feeling his mate’s desire for him to rest faintly course through him from the bond, even without direct contact. 

Hyourinmaru allowed a slow breath to pass through his nose, resting his head in the same orientation as always - able to watch Tensa and be aware of his surroundings at the same time. It didn’t matter that it had never been necessary - no one coming into this world would want to harm him or his mate. It was something ingrained in the dragon that he was, telling him to protect his mate in this vulnerable state, even if he didn’t really need it. Finally, content that Tensa had fallen asleep, he let his own eyes close, completely at peace and happy.

* * *

As soon as Ichigo pulled himself from jinzen, his eyes opened to Toshiro’s bedroom in the Soul Society, a rather anxious Yukio still sitting between him and Toshiro, clearly trying to keep from fidgeting. “Hey, we’re good, Yukio. Toshiro’s just tired. No one’s hurt or anything,” he assured him.

Yukio’s wide emerald eyes jerked to Ichigo when he spoke, having been so preoccupied worrying that he hadn’t caught the shift in Reiatsu that told of his return. “I’m not usually this anxious about it, but knowing he was training with both you and Tensa was a little worrying,” he said just before Toshiro came to consciousness, the Captain’s weakness causing him to slump into Yukio as soon as he surfaced. Yukio caught him readily, holding him against his chest for a moment before lowering him to the bed. Seeing him this way wasn’t abnormal after such a session. Even just training by himself, he was drained after using his mature Bankai. 

"Thank you, Yukio," Toshiro said, his entire weight against the blonde before being lowered to the bed but not concerned, knowing Yukio would be far from bothered. He smiled up at him, saying, "It's actually not as bad as when I've trained outside of our inner world. Now that I'm back in my body, any lingering pain I had is gone - most likely because my real body wasn't at all damaged or put through the stress of the transformation. I'm just exhausted now."

Yukio leaned down to kiss his cheek before looking up at Ichigo. “I usually make him something to eat right after training,” he said with a smile.

Ichigo nodded. “Yeah, I told Toshiro I wouldn’t be trying to cook. I’ll stay with him,” he agreed, sliding over on the bed and lying next to Toshiro, facing him with his head on the adjacent pillow. It was already evening, the sun having set recently enough that there was still a bit of a glow on the horizon, but Ichigo was feeling the effects of his own effort, comparatively small as they were. He smiled as Yukio bent to kiss his cheek before vacating the bed and exiting the room. “You gonna make it until Yukio gets done cooking? You look like you’re about to pass out right now,” he teased, bringing his hand up to cup Toshiro’s cheek.

"If I do, he'll just wake me anyway - he knows the food is more important to regaining my lost Reiryoku than rest," Toshiro murmured, teal eyes barely open as he leaned towards the touch on his cheek. 

Ichigo’s smile never waned as he took in the complete exhaustion in Toshiro’s relaxed expression, eyelids heavy and actions completely unchecked as he leaned into his hand. Though, Ichigo supposed Toshiro was like this a lot around him now, doing things he never thought he would see the man do,  _ especially  _ with him. He shifted closer, pressing his lips gently to Toshiro’s for a moment before slowly pulling away. “I’ll just kiss you until he comes back, if that would keep you awake,” he whispered.

Toshiro smiled, humming and lazily bringing up a hand to caress Ichigo's neck and jaw. "It may," he murmured, teal eyes heavy but bright with amusement and gentle fondness. 

Ichigo smiled, leaning in again and pressing light kisses to his lips, saying between each one, “Then I guess - I  _ may -  _ have to.” He then took his mouth a bit more firmly, bringing a hand up to thread into snow-colored hair as he tilted his head and let his tongue tease Toshiro’s lips, not demanding at all, the action gentle instead of heated.

Toshiro sighed, parting his lips obediently at the gentle request, allowing Ichigo to languidly explore his mouth. He barely moved against him, far too exhausted to do anything other than allow Ichigo to do as he wished, though his fingers continued to lightly caress his neck and strong jaw. The sounds he made were light, contented hums as desire attempted to ignite within him only to become a part of the gentle, loving warmth he felt throughout his body. 

Ichigo lost track of everything around him, not caring a bit how long he was lying there lazily exploring Toshiro’s mouth, only knowing that he would have been perfectly content to do this for hours. He knew Toshiro was much too exhausted to engage in anything more heated, not even worried that such a thing would arise. Even  _ his  _ body seemed to recognize that the purpose of this wasn’t to move further, just to love the man next to him, show him that he could relax and be cared for. 

It must have been a while, because eventually Ichigo heard Yukio reenter the room, though he truly didn’t want to let Toshiro go. The smell of food reminding him that Toshiro needed to eat made him pull away, running his hand through Toshiro’s hair again and giving him a smile and a contented hum. “You need to eat,” he murmured, leaning in to kiss his forehead.

Yukio brought the tray of food to the bedside table behind Toshiro, smiling at the two of them as Ichigo sat up. “I made enough for both of you. I’m sure you’re tired, too, Ichigo, and I knew you wouldn’t refuse food,” he said with a light laugh. 

“Well, you’re right about both. But I’ll let Toshiro eat first. He’s much more tired than I am,” Ichigo replied, pulling his hand from Toshiro’s hair and bringing a strong arm around the smaller man and pulling him up to lean against his chest.

Toshiro allowed his entire weight to settle against him, carefully accepting the plate of food Yukio handed him before beginning to eat, making a pleased sound at the taste, his actions becoming more sure and less fatigued as Reiatsu filled his starving body. The need to eat as a soul was a very odd thing - most didn't require it at all, the only real purpose was to replenish lost Reiryoku. He grinned at Yukio as he handed back the empty plate, looking far more aware, silently asking for more, knowing that the other really expected it at this point. 

Yukio smiled at the immediate increase in Toshiro’s alertness, not even asking before serving him more and handing the plate back. He laughed when he looked up at Ichigo, who seemed shocked at just how much Toshiro was eating so quickly. “This is the first time you’ve seen him after training with that form, I guess. He always eats this much, sometimes more. I’m sure he doesn’t want anyone else to know this, but the first time he did it after that long break in training, I actually had to feed him because he was still in so much pain,” Yukio said with a fond smile. He was certain Toshiro considered the whole thing highly embarrassing, but Yukio looked back on that night as a moment that they bonded, Toshiro completely letting go of his constantly guarded attitude and allowing Yukio to take care of him. 

Toshiro paused, midway through his second helping as he took in Yukio’s expression. He looked… wistful - and obviously not for him being in pain. He smiled fondly back at him, saying gently, "I wouldn't mind, here at home, after training like this if you wanted to feed me, Yukio. It was embarrassing at first but… it was also nice… being so thoroughly taken care of…"

Yukio’s smile widened, and he nodded. “Maybe sometimes I’d like to, when you’re especially exhausted. I could tell you weren’t terribly bad off today, so I didn’t offer,” he replied with a small shrug. 

Ichigo laughed, tightening his arm around Toshiro, though amber eyes were focused on Yukio. “Hell, I’ll take care of both of you. Of course, I’ll let you help take care of Toshiro, Yukio,” he said with a wink. “Between the two of us, he’ll be spoiled, never have to lift a finger.”

Toshiro chuckled, "Honestly, that sounds nice after so long not having anyone to rely on like this. I may eventually get to the point of it being a bit too much but for right now, it's a welcome change. I haven't taken anything resembling a break since becoming Captain - and even before that I  _ still  _ did all the paperwork as third seat. Your father was as terrible with that as Matsumoto is, Ichigo - I have no idea how they managed before me," he said with a fond, exasperated expression before returning to his food. 

Ichigo laughed. “Well,  _ that’s  _ not surprising at all. But you’re saying you’d get tired of us doing stuff for you? Like cooking, feeding you when you’re too tired…” he trailed off a bit as he brought both hands up to thread into Toshiro’s hair, his thumbs massaging the back of his neck while the rest of his fingers kneaded his scalp, “... Massaging your scalp while we wash your hair?” 

Toshiro finished his food, passing the plate back to Yukio before leaning back into Ichigo, saying, "I don't mind at all when I'm exhausted after training. I only meant that I know I'd get restless if you both literally did everything for me. I do want to take care of you both too, you know."

Ichigo hummed thoughtfully for a moment, giving Yukio a smile when he looked up at him. “I mean, I  _ guess  _ I’ll let you take care of me. As long as you’re  _ extra  _ thorough when you give me a bath,” he said, his voice becoming a bit teasingly heated as he ran his hands down Toshiro’s neck and shoulders, still massaging as he worked his way down his lithely muscled arms. 

Yukio couldn’t help when he blushed, the response rather immediate at both Ichigo’s tone and words, the suggestion in those amber eyes unmistakable and quite tempting. But he wasn’t sure what condition Toshiro was in, despite the fact that he had eaten. Which reminded him… Ichigo hadn’t eaten yet. Though, if he was acting like this, Yukio wasn’t entirely sure if he  _ needed  _ to, or if he was just going to because it had been offered. Either way, he was leaving the final response to Ichigo’s actions up to Toshiro, since he was obviously the one with cause for concern at the moment. 

Toshiro chuckled, "Eat first. You barely used your Reiatsu compared to me but you  _ did  _ use some." Teal eyes became darker and heated as he gazed at Yukio and leaned into Ichigo's touch, the blush on the blonde sending a wave of desire through him now that much of his Reiryoku had been replenished. He knew full sex would be ambitious for him but that's not what he wanted right now anyway… "Afterwards you can both continue to massage me and wash my hair while I have dessert… And then I want you to help me show Yukio exactly how much we appreciate him taking care of  _ both  _ of us after training…"

Yukio’s blush deepened, though he did have the mind to pick up a clean plate and fill it with food, handing it to Ichigo, who removed his hands from Toshiro’s arms to take it. He giggled a bit at the sight of Ichigo all but resting his plate on top of Toshiro’s head as he ate, but he quickly turned his mind back to Toshiro’s last statement. “I - you - I just - you know I don’t expect anything in return for doing this,” he finally stuttered out, his face an impossible shade of red. 

Ichigo had to hold back from laughing with food in his mouth, quickly swallowing it and saying with amusement, “You never do expect anything, that’s why it’s so great to watch you blush every time we give you anything, sex-related or not.” He continued to eat, but his attention was on Yukio, who had resorted to sulking adorably at mention of his propensity to blush easily. 

Toshiro moved to settle against Yukio - more fondly exasperated than actually annoyed that Ichigo had been eating  _ over his head  _ \- wrapping his arms around him and tucking his nose against his neck, humming at feeling his warmth. He gently kissed him, smiling as he said, “And you blushing just makes us want to do more things for you because you look so adorable and sexy at the same time. Tired as I am I still can’t help but want you… To see Ichigo have his way with you…”

Yukio wrapped his arms around Toshiro when he leaned against him, but a small, barely audible whine surfaced at Toshiro’s words. When bright emerald eyes met heated amber, he was only more flustered when he realized Ichigo was finished eating and placing his plate back on the tray. 

Ichigo wasted no time approaching both of them, his arm sliding between Yukio’s on Toshiro’s back and his mouth immediately finding Yukio’s lips, briefly delving his tongue into the other’s welcoming mouth before pulling away. “You weren’t serious about dessert, were you, Toshiro? Because I don’t think I’m waiting any longer with an offer like that,” he said, his voice already low with desire. 

Toshiro turned to gaze up at him with darkened teal eyes, “Oh, I was serious about dessert, but I don’t think you’ll mind at all what I planned on that being…”

Ichigo gave a rather amused hum. “Is that so? You said we were appreciating Yukio tonight, but with how you’re looking at me, I’m thinking I might get some  _ appreciating  _ too,” he said with a low chuckle. He shifted a bit to take both of them in his arms, easily pulling them both off the bed and carrying them toward the bathroom. “Speaking of adorable and sexy, I love that I can carry you both at the same time, and I really don’t care if you hate it or not,” he added, smiling down at them. 

Yukio had honestly resigned himself to Ichigo’s decisive handling of him ever since the first time they were together. He actually found that he loved it, no matter the context, Ichigo’s insistence on carrying him occasionally just making him feel more cared for. So he settled his head on Ichigo’s shoulder with a small smile, reaching up to kiss his neck before looking over at Toshiro. 

Toshiro kissed Yukio’s nose, saying, “At least this keeps me close to both of you, and I honestly adore how warm Yukio is so I’m not going to complain at home. This  _ would _ be highly embarrassing, though, if you tried this outside of our home, and I  _ would _ demand you put me down. You won’t be able to always do this, though… I will  _ eventually _ be too big for this…”

Ichigo chuckled, tilting his head to kiss Toshiro’s hair. “Hmm, I might have to try it just once while you’re at work to see you get all worked up then. You only said I had to behave during Captain’s meetings,” he teased. 

Toshiro immediately looked up at Ichigo, glaring, “You may be immune to my ice  _ hurting _ you but that doesn’t mean I still can’t freeze as much as your body as I want and leave you that way - I’m sure you’d thaw out eventually.”

Ichigo could only laugh, though he knew Toshiro was entirely serious.  _ “Fine,  _ I guess I’ll leave you alone at work. But you wouldn’t mind, would you, Yukio?” he asked, turning his eyes down to the other man in his arms. 

“No, I actually wouldn’t mind all that much. It’s a little embarrassing, sure, but… honestly, I’ve never had someone that loves me as much as the two of you do. So I’ll take a little bit of embarrassment if you’re just doing it because you love me,” Yukio replied, emerald eyes coming up to meet Ichigo’s insistently kind smile. They had arrived at Toshiro’s private bath, but he wasn’t really in a hurry to leave Ichigo’s hold, even though he bent to release them both. Even with his feet on the floor, Yukio leaned into Ichigo’s body, nuzzling his cheek into his chest. 

Toshiro wrapped his own arm around Yukio’s back, kissing his hair by his ear, saying softly, “We both love you, Yukio. I never want you to think that just because I’m not always as physically affectionate outside of home that I’m in any way not proud to have you as a partner, to be with you. Never hesitate, when you feel like you need or want me to have physical contact with you, to initiate such a thing.” He grinned, continuing, “I trust you to do so with a bit of tact to the situation and to not literally carry me. Though, honestly, were I Ichigo’s height, even I’d likely want to hold you and carry you as he does. I love having you close, Yukio.”

Yukio smiled and leaned a bit toward Toshiro’s mouth near his ear. “I know. You and I know there’s such a thing as professionalism, I’m just already resigned to the fact that it’s not really in Ichigo’s vocabulary. I knew that already, though, watching him while he was with Xcution,” he said, shaking his head and looking fondly up at Ichigo again. “Really, his openness was part of what made me like him.”

Ichigo grinned down at the two of them. “Hey, I know what professionalism is, I just don’t think it’s really necessary a lot of the time. As long as we all get our work done and I’m not actually  _ distracting  _ anyone, I can carry Yukio home in front of everyone else and I don’t see a problem with that,” he defended himself, his constant smile never dropping. 

Toshiro chuckled fondly, kissing Yukio’s hair and again and Ichigo’s chest before stepping away, saying, “I believe you said something about washing my hair…” He began removing his shihakusho, untying the obi and shrugging out of the kosode, smiling with teal eyes darkened by desire as he undressed in front of his two partners. He’d become even more comfortable with them, knowing they actually saw his small body as desirable and he loved that just seeing him this way caused their expressions to become more heated, their want more obvious. It was so empowering that he could affect them both when he’d thought no one would find him very appealing in this form.

Ichigo didn’t take his time undressing himself, pulling at the layers of his own shihakusho hurriedly, tossing the clothing to the side. He had just finished stripping when Toshiro had finally finished with his own clothing, and he stepped to him, grinning as he scooped him into his arms again, taking him to the bench against the wall under the showerhead. He sat down on it with his back leaned against the wall, Toshiro still straddling his lap, his legs having wrapped around his waist without thought when he picked him up. Ichigo glanced over at Yukio, who was in no rush to take off his own clothes. 

It was rather amusing to Ichigo, just how shy Yukio was, but he only found the man more endearing for it. As he leaned in to press light kisses to Toshiro’s cheek and jaw, he watched Yukio pull his shirt over his head, heated amber eyes tracing every lean muscle that accented his thin frame. He nearly groaned into Toshiro’s skin, the sound contained to a quiet hum, when Yukio removed his pants and walked over to them, the light shade of pink that dusted his cheeks causing Ichigo to smile when he caught his eyes. 

“You know this water is going to be cold when I turn it on, and you’re sitting right under it already,” Yukio warned, his hand going to the knob that controlled the water.

“Yeah, I don’t think either of us will mind,” Ichigo speculated. He truly hadn’t been at all sensitive to the cold since his and Toshiro’s inner worlds had merged. It was understandable, in that environment, but it seemed to have changed  _ all  _ of him, to the point that he never even  _ felt  _ cold anymore.

Toshiro smiled at Yukio, saying, “It likely won’t feel cold to either of us - I know for certain it won’t for me and I think it’s become the same for Ichigo. It’s why you feel so wonderfully warm to both of us. My personal body temperature is drastically lower than what is normal and since our inner worlds have merged, Ichigo’s now is as well. It’s actually fortunate he’s left his body behind with Konpaku as that likely would have caused problems eventually.” He turned back to Ichigo as he said, “I’m surprised you were able to stay within it after we merged as long as you did without getting hypothermia…”

Ichigo chuckled, flinching when the water hit him only because Yukio gave no further warning before turning it on. “You know as well as I do that I don’t try to explain stuff, I just let it happen. So,  _ why  _ my body didn’t freeze really isn’t the important thing here, is it?” he pointed out, bringing his hand up from behind Toshiro’s back to tap the tip of Toshiro’s nose. “Always overthinking stuff,” he said with a smile.

Toshiro smirked, “Sometimes I wonder if thinking in general is overthinking by your standards.”

Ichigo laughed. “Hey, I think just enough, alright? I’m just selective about it. Like, right now, I’m thinking about how sexy both of you are, and how lucky I am to get to have  _ both  _ of you,” he said, his voice lowering with his last statement as he neared Toshiro’s lips, his breath washing over them but not quite making contact.

Toshiro’s darkened teal eyes fell half-lidded with desire as he felt Ichigo’s breath upon his lips, his own parting immediately in what was now his own habitual response. He didn’t remotely feel Hyourinmaru’s influence anymore, his own natural tendency and need to submit to his partners cemented after spending so much time with both of them in this context. He trembled slightly in anticipation as Ichigo was rarely gentle when he claimed his mouth - not that he didn’t love that about him - but he remained perfectly still and obedient otherwise, subconsciously soothing the hollow-influenced instincts that Ichigo had within him.

Ichigo’s smile was rather untamed as he rewarded Toshiro’s actions by delving into his mouth, the clash of teeth and the taste of his partner bringing a groan up from his throat. As much as Ichigo wanted to continue, though, he pulled away after a moment, running his hands through Toshiro’s hair as the water saturated the thick white strands. “Let’s finish taking care of you first, alright?” he murmured. He shifted Toshiro in his lap, turning him so that his back was against Ichigo’s chest. He then looked up at Yukio, who was still standing next to the bench, his hand under the water’s flow to test the temperature as he adjusted it. “Good, Yukio?” he asked.

Yukio met Ichigo’s eyes and nodded. He certainly wasn’t disturbed by how much Ichigo loved kissing Toshiro - he did the same to him given the opportunity. In fact, it was more arousing than anything else, though he tried to push that back for the time being. He moved to kneel in front of Toshiro, taking his hand and giving him a fond smile. “Love you, Toshiro,” he murmured, bringing his hand to his lips to kiss the back of it.

Toshiro’s expression was impossibly fond as he relaxed into Ichigo, his other hand coming to cup Yukio’s cheek. Seeing him kneeling in front of him, those large, beautiful emerald eyes gazing up at him only caused his desire to increase, Yukio completely appealing to him without the other even remotely trying. “Love you, Yukio,” he replied softly, loving the feeling of the - to him - incredibly hot water cascading against his skin, though he knew in reality the temperature was probably quite reasonable, slightly warm at best to Yukio. He’d always had an affinity to water, his control over it making him feel completely at peace within it in every form. His smile became playful, though the words were completely honest as he continued, “You have no idea how incredibly gorgeous and sexy you look like that on your knees…”

Yukio giggled, emerald eyes sliding to the side as he felt himself blushing  _ again.  _ One day, maybe he would get over this incessant flustering, but he really believed that both of his partners enjoyed seeing him like this, so he didn’t make a large effort to push his reactions back. Instead of replying, because he knew his nonverbal response was surely enough, he reached for the soap and a loofah before handing the bottle of shampoo to Ichigo.

Ichigo took it, squeezing a good amount into his hand before snapping the bottle closed again, putting it down next to him on the bench. He took his time as he lathered it into Toshiro’s hair, pushing him gently to lean forward enough that the water was flowing over his back instead of directly on his hair. He watched as Yukio took the same slow approach to washing Toshiro’s body, every movement careful and gentle, completely natural to his disposition. It wasn’t that Ichigo was struggling to remain calm, but he did have to continually remind himself why he was doing this, that Toshiro needed him right now, and he was determined to provide for his partners in any way they needed.

Toshiro’s eyes had slipped closed, perfectly content to allow his partners to bathe him like this. He moved with the lightest touch however they wanted him to, giving Yukio better access to wash each of his legs thoroughly and letting Ichigo tilt his head how he wanted to rinse through the shampoo that clung to the stands of his thick, white hair. As Yukio continued to wash up his body, he groaned whenever he passed over the more sensitive areas of his skin - the inner parts of his thighs, the curve of his hip bone, all the way up to the hollow of his throat, his head tilted up to give him as much access as possible. By the time Yukio gave his gentle, attentive attention to washing his cock, he was fully hard and trembling, all but collapsed against Ichigo, teal eyes slitted and dark with desire, uncaring about the water as he watched him, perfectly able to see through it without any discomfort.

Ichigo was giving Yukio a heated smile the entire time, seeing and feeling Toshiro react to the treatment Yukio was giving him. It was still amazing to him just how lost Toshiro became so quickly, responding to both of them nearly immediately, whether it was Ichigo’s rough, claiming actions or Yukio’s gentleness. Ichigo ran his hands through Toshiro’s hair one more time, satisfied that it was fully rinsed when the water ran clear. He then began to massage Toshiro’s back and shoulders, waiting for Yukio to finish his task and not minding at all with how much Toshiro was obviously enjoying it.

Yukio kept a hand on Toshiro’s knee as he rinsed out the loofah and set it aside. He then ran his hands over Toshiro’s body to be assured that his skin was fully rinsed and then stood, hands on Toshiro’s shoulders over Ichigo’s, which were still kneading out any tension that may have remained in Toshiro’s muscles. “I’d like to do the same for you, Ichigo,” he said quietly, barely over the sound of the water splashing to the floor. 

Ichigo nodded, giving Yukio a smile before tilting his head down to kiss Yukio’s hand on top of his. “That okay, Toshiro?” he asked, his lips already quite near Toshiro’s ear.

Toshiro hummed, teal eyes opening more and leaning forward to kiss the center of Yukio’s chest before he slid off Ichigo’s lap, settling on his own knees upon the floor and turning to face Ichigo, face angled up to look at them both, not bothered at all by the spray of the water. “That’s fine but I’m going to have my dessert while he does so, I’m sure you can work around me, right, Yukio?” he asked with a heated smirk.

Yukio nodded rather shakily, though he began to consider that he would have to  _ make  _ himself focus on his task instead of watching what Toshiro clearly intended to do. Ichigo’s reactions alone were sure to be distracting enough. “Yes, I can work around you,” he replied, though his voice was a bit strained. 

Ichigo wasn’t any better off, seeing bright teal eyes gazing up at him with unmasked desire. He swallowed rather forcefully and braced his hands on the bench on either side of him, his chuckle rather breathy and his voice the same way as he said, “Well, I guess I’m not going to stop you.”

Toshiro didn’t need any further permission as he took Ichigo into his mouth, the water mixing with his natural taste in a way that had his eyes falling half-lidded again and humming, still gazing up towards his partners. He thoroughly enjoyed having both of them in his mouth this way, loved watching as they were pulled into deep pleasure through the motion of his small tongue and the constriction of his throat. He’d quickly worked through subduing his gag reflex, not having a strong one to begin with, and he sunk down to take Ichigo completely, moaning as he felt him fully harden within his mouth, filling him. He then withdrew entirely, his tongue teasing as it licked the hard length, occasionally bringing him back in to fill his mouth and swallow around him only to retreat again and tease him with his tongue.

Ichigo was already nearly panting, his hands tight on the edge of the bench as Toshiro expertly worked up and down his cock with his mouth. He didn’t even notice that Yukio had moved until his hands were in his hair, massaging shampoo into it. The combined sensations of intense arousal and relaxation sent warmth into his body, flooding under every inch of his skin despite the fact that the water was already hot to him. It just made everything  _ hotter,  _ which didn’t help him maintain his control at all. He leaned back to rest his head on the wall behind him, allowing Yukio to move his head if he needed, focusing on that more so than Toshiro’s mouth around him. The searing path of the water down his chest and abs, though, made him whine with need, and he fought to keep his hips still.

Yukio’s hands were trembling in Ichigo’s hair, but he was determined to finish what he set out to do, the promise that his two partners were going to treat him to some appreciation - which he was certain would be something to the same effect as what he was currently treating Ichigo to - sticking in his mind and keeping him patient. Still, the  _ sounds  _ Ichigo was making and the sight of Toshiro so obviously enjoying having him in his mouth, driving him to ridiculous amounts of pleasure, had Yukio’s desire spiking in his already aroused body. He tried to take his time, but his actions were very much beyond his current thoughts and he found himself pulling Ichigo’s head into the flow of the water to rinse his hair while still watching Toshiro.

Ichigo’s eyes had closed a few moments ago, trying and utterly failing to filter out and cope with some of pleasure that was rushing through him, so he truly wasn’t bothered when Yukio moved him to rinse his hair, the heat from the water suddenly contacting the top of his head sending a violent chill through him. “Fuck - Toshiro - Yukio - don’t know if I can stand this,” he groaned, shifting to bury his hands in Toshiro’s hair as he leaned forward a bit to allow Yukio to finish rinsing his hair. 

Toshiro turned his actions from teasing to something far more focused, taking Ichigo deep and swallowing around him before moving back up and down his cock, darkened teal eyes still directed up, watching his every expression with satisfaction at making his partner feel this good. He found a steady rhythm, continuing to take Ichigo fully and deep into his mouth and throat, swallowing as he needed, knowing how amazing it felt to feel the constriction of his throat as he did so. He made constant, heated moans, the vibrations further stimulating as he sucked and moved, knowing it wouldn’t take long at all with this much stimulation for Ichigo to come down his throat, anticipating how he would take over just before, his hands fisted in his hair and keeping himself buried deep as he came. Toshiro actually loved that the most, being unable to move away, being held and forced to swallow him down. Toshiro wanted it anyway but the feeling of being completely without control never failed to clear his mind and make him feel light, his usually constant thoughts silent and calm.

It really was only seconds, Ichigo completely overwhelmed by the change in Toshiro’s actions and feeling Yukio’s hands running over his body seemingly with the intention of arousing him further. It was ridiculous how easily these two could have him at their mercy, but he wouldn’t have it any other way. He didn’t even attempt to hold back as he felt his climax claim him, tightening his hands in Toshiro’s hair and holding him with his cock buried deep in the other’s mouth, the sensation of Toshiro swallowing around him only intensifying the aftershocks as they tore through him after the initial release. His body stayed tense for several seconds before finally going lax, his hands shaking a bit as they loosened their hold on Toshiro’s hair, allowing him to withdraw if he wanted to. He slumped against the wall as Yukio didn’t even falter in his task, a soaped loofah running smoothly over his skin as he washed him.

Toshiro stayed holding Ichigo in his mouth, making sure he’d swallowed every drop before he stilled entirely, just holding him and feeling him soften before withdrawing several minutes later, seeing Yukio was complete with his task. He kissed Ichigo’s knee, half smirking/half smiling as he asked, “Are you ready to help me with Yukio? Or do you need a minute?” The question was fond and colored with amusement as he took in Ichigo’s entirely sated state against the wall.

Ichigo blindly reached down to rest his hand on top of Toshiro’s head, all but petting him as he came down from such an overwhelming high. It was another long minute before he finally lifted his head from against the wall, saying with a sigh in his voice, “Yeah, I’m ready.”

Toshiro shifted back, not bothering to get off the floor. He reached for Yukio’s hand, kissing the back of it before asking, “You ready to take Ichigo’s place?”

Yukio nodded, sitting as Ichigo vacated the bench and moved it from directly under the showerhead, yelping a bit and holding on as he did so with him sitting on it. He looked up at Ichigo a bit critically, but couldn’t stop the smile from coming to his lips at Ichigo’s amused expression. As much as he pretended not to enjoy Ichigo’s sudden, seemingly inconsiderate movements, it was no secret at all that they were one of his favorite things about him. 

Ichigo chuckled when he realized they really hadn’t talked this out, and he didn’t actually know what Toshiro had planned. “I was just going to bathe him - what are you doing, Toshiro?” he asked with an amused grin.

“I’m going to get him ready for you, hand me the lube and his prep toy,” Toshiro said with a smirk, teal eyes still dark as he held up his hand, palm up, watching both of their expressions from within the steady stream of water still cascading over him. He knew Ichigo had moved Yukio so he could easily stay under it, his affinity for water well known to both.

Ichigo’s eyes widened, and he looked down to find bright emerald eyes staring back at him. A wide, lustful grin soon took over his shock, though, as he stepped around to the nearby vanity, opening a bottom drawer and retrieving the items Toshiro had requested, having stored most of the same things in the bathroom that they had in the bedroom for convenience’s sake. 

They had quickly realized it was necessary to use a toy to prepare Yukio outside of the protection of his Fullbring, whether in their inner world or not, since the first time either of them had tried to use their fingers, it had been ridiculously cold to him, not painful but certainly uncomfortable. Evidently the contrast in their body temperatures was fine with exterior touching, with the actual temperature of Yukio’s skin not being as far off from theirs, but with interior body temperatures being so vastly different from the surface of one’s skin, it had been something they had to work around. 

Having handed the two items to Toshiro and the things he would need to wash Yukio moved over to be next to where the bench now sat, Ichigo stood behind Yukio, knowing he would need the support with what Toshiro planned to do, and the wall was no longer behind him. He took his time lathering shampoo into Yukio’s fine hair, wanting to move as slowly as possible so that Toshiro finished his task at the same time he did.

Toshiro set the bottle and toy down in front of him, getting settled on his knees before Yukio and bringing his legs up to rest upon his shoulders, angling Yukio’s hips enough to allow him access to his entrance. He stroked the outsides of his thighs, allowing Yukio to settle and become comfortable, the blonde leaning against Ichigo’s firm body behind him. Toshiro turned his head, kissing his knee before asking, “Are you ready, Yukio? Are you comfortable enough this way to remain relaxed for me?”

Yukio took a deep, calming breath and relaxed against Ichigo, closing his eyes and melting into the gentle massaging motion of his hands in his hair. “Yes, I’ll be fine like this,” he replied, letting his legs fall lax over Toshiro’s shoulders and allowing the two of them complete control.

Toshiro kissed his knee again, picking up the toy and thoroughly lubing it, oil-based rather than water so that the shower wouldn’t simply wash it away as he worked to prepare him. It was as narrow as a single finger at the start, gaining girth along the length until it was larger than either himself or Ichigo. It ensured he was completely stretched without him feeling as full as when either of them took him, Yukio enjoying the feeling of being stretched deep within him by his partners and not a toy. Toshiro held Yukio’s hip with one hand as he gently eased in the toy, carefully watching his every reaction, teal eyes flickering from where the toy started sinking into him to focus instead on Yukio’s beautiful face, already flush, emerald eyes half-lidded and glassy.

Ichigo was still gently running his hands through Yukio’s hair, though he was well aware he was finished washing it. Just the sheer relaxation in the way he was slumped against him drove his actions to remain slow and gentle, even as he reached down to snatch the loofah from the floor, scrubbing soap into a lather before thoroughly but tenderly washing Yukio’s body, still supporting him from behind. It was rather easy for him to still reach most of his small body, even almost down his legs, Toshiro not seeming bothered in the slightest as the soap ran down onto his shoulders from Yukio’s legs. Ichigo nearly lost his own calm, though, when he ran the loofah over Yukio’s already hard cock and elicited a low, breathy moan.

Yukio was sinking into a state that was rather familiar to him, every bit of his control relented to the other two and his body feeling like it was floating in some deep sea of pleasure. He felt the toy delving smoothly into his body, Toshiro’s technique having developed into the absolute perfect pace and movement, his sharp mind never forgetting a single detail of every one of their encounters. As Ichigo’s hands took the place of the loofah, running over his body to lightly massage his shoulders and arms, he shuddered a bit at the increased desire that washed over him.

The toy sunk completely within Yukio, Toshiro carefully moved it to continue stretching him, purposefully avoiding that place within him that he now fully understood to be his prostate. He and Yukio both had rapidly educated themselves, Yukio having access to the Living Worlds internet even in Soul Society. Yukio had done most of the actual searching but Toshiro had read everything he passed along to him, and Ichigo had been completely down with trying anything the two curious geniuses came up with. 

Yukio had been incredibly, adorably shy at first about suggesting things but he knew by having Toshiro read what he was interested in, his partner would bring it up himself, understanding exactly what Yukio wanted but was too self conscious to say. Toshiro didn’t have any reservations when it came to talking about such things, not easily embarrassed when it was just the three of them, even if he was the most reserved in public. It was just ingrained in him to present himself a certain way in front of his Squad and fellow Captains. 

Toshiro also understood now what he and Yukio both fell into when giving up control was a state called subspace - and he could tell from the glassy look in Yukio’s eyes that he was already partially in one, having given up control of his body completely to his partners. Yukio’s body fully prepared and Ichigo done with bathing him, Toshiro grinned, purposely pressing the toy against his prostate gently, loving how responsive the small blonde was to prostate stimulation.

Yukio’s body tightened at the immense pleasure that was forced into him when Toshiro shifted the toy forward to press into his prostate, and a long groan issued without thought. He let his head fall back against Ichigo’s upper abs, the action completely involuntary when he turned his head to press his cheek into the smooth skin. 

Ichigo continued to support Yukio as he massaged his chest, his hands gliding across his skin and amber eyes finding heated teal. He grinned a bit, knowing Toshiro couldn’t resist how Yukio reacted when he was like this, in subspace, as he had learned. Really knowing that such a thing happened to the two of them - because it never happened to him - had tamed him considerably when he knew he needed to. 

They were both extremely vulnerable when they fell into this state, every action from their partners needing to be supportive, not at all able to be misconstrued as negative. Ichigo had never let either of them drop, a concept that terrified him to no end and something he didn’t even really enjoy thinking about, but he was still  _ extremely  _ cautious with their emotions when he knew they had given him control. He trusted Toshiro to be kind and gentle with Yukio when he was in subspace, but he had to completely recondition his own mind in response to such information, reining in every off-hand comment, even teasing that could be misinterpreted. He still hadn’t quite gotten the hang of the idea of verbal praise, something Toshiro was exceedingly good at, but it seemed Yukio was just as pleased to just have him there, Ichigo’s touch being enough to reassure him that he was there and he loved him.

“So gorgeous, Yukio,” Toshiro praised gently, using the toy to continue to massage him there as Yukio fell deeper into pleasure, pressing his cheek adorably and sweetly into Ichigo’s firm abs. He was panting and as he began to whine with need, Toshiro gently withdrew the toy. Yukio whimpered, glassy emerald eyes opening to look down at him as Toshiro smiled encouragingly, his hand petting a smooth thigh as he said, “You did so well, Yukio. Your body is ready for Ichigo, though I want to play with you too. I want to feel that sweet, hot mouth of yours on me and edge you while Ichigo massages your prostate. I want to see if you can make me come while you're that lost in pleasure. 

“Do you think you could try for me? Your mouth is so hot and wet - I bet you can, love. You're so sexy, such a good boy for us both. Do you want that, Yukio? Do you want to make me come while we pleasure you and I edge you?” 

Toshiro darted his eyes up to Ichigo, saying with a smile, “If Ichigo agrees too, of course.” 

His focus returned to Yukio, saying huskily, “Then he can sink into you and tell me when to let you come.”

Yukio’s labored breaths became a bit sharper, a light whine tracing nearly every exhale. He couldn’t even really get words out, just nodding shakily to Toshiro before looking up at Ichigo, at least realizing that Toshiro had given him final say over everything he had suggested. 

Ichigo smiled down at Yukio, a hand coming up to thread into wet blonde hair. Really, everything Toshiro had said had his blood running hot, every bit of it sounding ridiculously sexy, but he kept his focus on Yukio instead of his own need. “Yeah, that sounds sexy as hell, and I bet you could make him come, you’re so damn good with your mouth,” he said, his grin widening when Yukio’s glazed emerald eyes lit up with satisfaction at his words. 

“Alright, let’s get you good and rinsed and back to the bedroom,” he added, shifting a bit to help Yukio to his feet, taking his leg and swinging it over Toshiro’s head from where he had them strung over Toshiro’s shoulders. He only took his arm from around Yukio’s waist when he was confident that he could stand on his own, at which point he tilted his head down to rinse his hair, being sure that the flow of water down his small body was reaching everywhere else. Once the water was turned off, Ichigo grabbed a towel from a bar around the corner from the shower that was protected from the spray and draped it over Yukio’s shoulders. 

He was honestly just as fond of this state as Toshiro was, where Yukio was concerned. He was incredibly docile, following every silent demand of Ichigo’s hands, raising his arms a bit when he needed him to without a single word. And really, this was a moderate subspace for Yukio. His  _ deep  _ subspace state was even  _ more  _ accommodating and trusting, something Ichigo was comfortable with but highly cautious around, using his hands more than his words, knowing his mouth had a tendency to betray him. 

With Yukio dried, Ichigo took the towel from around him and quickly dried himself with it, good enough, he figured. Yukio’s hair hardly held water anyway, so it was barely damp. He hadn’t really been paying much attention to what Toshiro was doing, only looking back at him after he had already hoisted Yukio into his arms, supporting under his thighs and loving how Yukio habitually wrapped his legs around his waist.

Toshiro had dried his own body quickly, turning his focus to towel drying his own hair as thoroughly as possible. Unlike both of his partners' hair, his own was both longer than it usually looked and was incredibly thick, holding water and usually remaining damp for hours. He soaked through the towel he'd first grabbed before sighing and grabbing a second, keeping it folded under his arm, intending to just use it as a pillow until his hair dried completely. 

He then gathered their clothing about the room, placing it in a basket hamper off to the side before filling a bowl with hot water and a washcloth, knowing Ichigo would want them cleaned off before going to sleep and that, likely, neither he nor Yukio would be in any condition to leave the bed afterwards. The room tidied and materials collected, he came to stand peacefully, waiting on his partners to be ready, a fond smile upon his lips as he watched them together. He nodded when Ichigo looked back at him, following as Ichigo turned and walked with Yukio cuddled against his chest back to the bedroom. 

Toshiro slipped around the pair, heat in his eyes and smile as set down the bowl with the washcloth on the table beside the large bed and pulled down the blankets, glad he'd swapped out his old, small bed as soon as Ichigo had confirmed his first visit back to Soul Society. He laid himself down upon his back towards the center, towel beneath his head, his feet near the headboard, arms and legs resting upon the soft sheet, his position completely open and unguarded for both of his partners to view his body. 

He felt his own mind start to fall into a light subspace, feeling a bit put on display for them both and loving the heated looks that elicited. Causing them pleasure, seeing their desire, it fueled his own in a way he couldn’t begin to describe - making him feel  _ important  _ \-  _ wanted.  _ He hummed under the lustful scrutiny of amber and emerald eyes, his own teal becoming half-lidded, dark, and slightly glassy. 

Ichigo got on the bed next to Toshiro, guiding Yukio out of his grasp, his strength and Yukio’s slight build allowing him to essentially just put him in position himself, Yukio following every touch as he placed him over Toshiro, knowing exactly from what Toshiro had described what he wanted. As he made sure Yukio was comfortable on his hands and knees over Toshiro, Ichigo lightly touched Toshiro’s body under him, most times one hand on each of them as he looked over their position, desire burning within him just at the thought of what Toshiro had planned.

As a final thought, Ichigo slid off the bed for a moment, retrieving Yukio’s PSP and bringing it to him. “Hey, I need you to activate this, so I can use my fingers on you and take you later, okay?” he requested, his free hand running through fine blonde hair. 

Yukio nodded, giving the command as Ichigo had asked. The PSP dissipated, but his usual gear still wasn’t visible. He had worked out how to keep the option for visibility permanently off, the only evidence of his Fullbring being the preset barrier that protected him from his partners’ abnormally cold bodies, and even the barrier only shimmered before disappearing, keeping the ambiance of the room intact. 

Ichigo had always remained overly cautious, though, touching Yukio’s neck and asking, “This is good?” Their skin did feel a bit chilled to Yukio under normal circumstances, but when Yukio nodded, Ichigo knew his Fullbring was active and working. Ichigo reached into a drawer of the bedside table, pulling out a bottle of lube and going back to settle on his knees at Toshiro’s head, running his hand through still damp white hair. “Ready for this, Toshiro?” he asked with a grin.

"Yes," Toshiro answered immediately, his hands having moved to massage Yukio’s thighs and calves when the small blonde was settled over him. Yukio’s hard cock was so close to his lips, he'd been focused on forcing himself to not immediately take him in his mouth as he desperately wanted to. He had needed to wait for his Fullbring activation anyway, though - as wonderful as Yukio’s hot mouth felt to Toshiro, the reverse was not true, his mouth far too cold to be comfortable. 

He gazed up at Ichigo, his mind having placed the decision of when he was allowed to start with him. Teal eyes were dark and growing ever more glassy as he further relaxed, trusting Ichigo to take care of them both and handle the decisions from here as he awaited permission to actually proceed. 

Ichigo ran his free hand down Yukio’s back, having put the lube down on the bed, smiling when he shuddered a bit and arched into his touch. Clearly Yukio was in a state to take commands rather effortlessly. “When Yukio takes you in his mouth, Toshiro, you can do the same,” Ichigo said softly, shifting his hand from within Toshiro’s hair to caress his cheek and jaw. Really, they were both ridiculously amazing with their mouths, and Ichigo couldn’t fathom how much pleasure they would bring one another this way. He himself swore he probably wouldn’t be able to function enough to pleasure his partner properly if  _ either  _ of them had him in their mouth, evident by what had happened in the shower. 

With another light pass of his hand over Yukio’s back, he said clearly enough for the other to hear, “Go on and take him in your mouth, Yukio.”

Yukio didn’t hesitate, ducking his head the small distance to slide Toshiro’s nearly fully hard cock into his mouth, sliding his tongue along the length for a moment as he teased him into what he knew was full arousal. 

Toshiro gasped before moaning loudly, Yukio's mouth instantly demanding his attention with the sheer warmth, let alone his skill with that agile tongue. He obediently took him into his own mouth without really thinking about it, his focus so thoroughly diverted. He was acting on the direction from Ichigo though, his mind treating it like a command even if he had been the original one to propose this. 

One hand gripped Yukio's hip above him while the other slid to close his fingers around the base of Yukio’s cock, acting much as a ring would, his strong but gentle grip making it impossible for Yukio to actually come while his mouth went to work. He took him in deeply, filling his mouth with him and feeling him fully harden into his throat, his lips against his own fingers wrapped around the base. 

As Yukio continued to work on his own cock, Toshiro groaned and swallowed around him constantly, not really moving much except his tongue, breathing deep and steady through his nose as pleasure quickly built within him. He was slipping even further into his own subspace, this position making it almost impossible for him to move, feeling restrained and restricted without any control. The only bit he had was his fingers holding back Yukio’s release but even that decision wasn't his - he'd given that over to Ichigo and he wouldn't free Yukio, wouldn't swallow down his release until Ichigo gave him the command. 

Ichigo watched as Yukio and Toshiro both developed a bit of a rhythm, the sight and sounds causing him to groan quietly before picking up the bottle of lube, slicking two of his fingers and tracing Yukio’s entrance, holding the other’s hips in place as he tried to push back on them. “Hold still for me, Yukio. Toshiro has you, too, remember,” Ichigo said gently, rubbing soothing circles on the outside of Yukio’s hip as he felt him relax again. When the tension was released completely, Ichigo pressed one finger in, knowing Yukio’s body was already prepared but still being careful with him. 

That single finger met no resistance at all, sliding easily as far as it could reach, and Yukio let out a broken moan around Toshiro’s cock, not letting up the rhythm he had set lightly bobbing his head up and down the length, his tongue flicking the tip when he retreated and his throat constricting around it when he took him fully into his throat. He knew his goal was to make Toshiro come, the pressure around the base of his cock reminding him that he was completely out of control of the situation. The realization made him whimper a bit, but not with need - with sheer relaxed powerlessness that made his mind escape him completely, only following his commands and bringing his partners pleasure. 

Toshiro wasn’t thinking at all anymore, didn't believe he was  _ capable  _ of thought as he gently stimulated Yukio, the actions compulsive, more holding him deep within his mouth than anything. He was left only  _ feeling  _ \- Yukio’s mouth hot and wet and skillfully bringing him closer to his own release. He allowed the pleasure to wash over him, releasing all control, the tension within him centering within his core as the rest of his body relaxed completely. His hips that had been strained, forced into stillness as Yukio swallowed down his cock, relaxed as well upon the bed, no longer trying to at all influence his own climax, content to allow it to build from Yukio’s skilled mouth alone as his mind blanked, his body feeling fuzzy, sinking into a deep subspace as he moaned continually and brokenly around Yukio’s hard length in his mouth. 

Ichigo was watching Toshiro as he inserted the second finger, the vacant glassiness in those bright teal eyes familiar and a bit satisfying. Well, if he was honest, it was more than a  _ bit  _ satisfying. Knowing both of them were comfortable enough to fall this far into subspace - because he was aware that Yukio had fallen further even faster than Toshiro - meant that they trusted  _ Ichigo  _ with their care, a responsibility that he definitely didn’t take lightly. As his second finger easily slid inside Yukio’s already prepared body, he didn’t waste much time before hooking gently into his prostate, keeping constant pressure as he massaged slow circles into the sensitive area. 

Yukio whimpered and moaned around Toshiro’s cock in his mouth, his pattern faltering only a bit as heat and pleasure seemed to ignite beneath his skin. The pressure was building to seemingly unbearable heights, but with Toshiro’s practiced hand firmly around the base of his cock, there was no outlet, no chance for release. Being denied this way actually felt  _ fantastic,  _ the lack of control and immense arousal sending Yukio into an even deeper state of unawareness, everything around him seeming to melt away and his actions becoming driven only by his previous commands. 

Ichigo didn’t let up on the slow stimulation inside Yukio’s heated body, the temperature difference still fairly obvious to him, but not to the point of uncomfortable. In fact, it made a wave of desire wash over him at the thought of his cock soon being surrounded by that tight heat. He recognized the needy, almost desperate sounds coming from Yukio, and he quietly reminded him, “Make Toshiro come, Yukio. I know you can with that sexy mouth of yours.” 

Yukio’s actions became much more focused with Ichigo’s words, his mind taking it as a command. He sucked rather harshly, but never to the point that he would hurt Toshiro, before sinking down on his hard length and taking him to the hilt, swallowing continuously around him as an attempt to trigger his release. 

Toshiro didn't have an ounce of control as Yukio sent him over, his hot mouth sucking and swallowing him down. He cried out, the sound extremely muffled as his own mouth was completely full. He wasn't able to move  _ at all  _ as his climax came over him like a wave - his head pinned and completely unwilling to move his hips with Yukio deep throating him, his primary instinct always to make sure he wasn't hurting him. 

So the tension left him slowly, not able to release any by otherwise moving, his aftershocks almost as hard as the initial release. Tears leaked from utterly vacant, glassy teal eyes - not seeing, not hearing, only  _ feeling. _ His voice was a mixture of muffled whimpering and keening, his mouth still wonderfully full, slowly and convulsively swallowing around Yukio with his fingers remaining wrapped firmly around the base and pressed against his own lips as he hadn't been given the order to free him. His mind was  _ gone _ \- wondrously blank as that feeling of fuzzy numbness overtook him, his body trembling and everything but his grip on Yukio falling limp as he breathed deeply through his nose. 

Ichigo brought his free hand down to run his fingers soothingly through Toshiro’s hair, at the same time praising Yukio as well as he could and keeping the steady massaging motion inside against his prostate. “Good, Yukio, making Toshiro feel so good like that,” he said gently, taking his hand from Toshiro’s hair to quickly lube his own cock. “I’m going to give you your reward now, Yukio, and when your hot, tight body makes me come, I’ll have Toshiro let you come, too,” he added, pulling out his fingers and positioning his fully hard and leaking cock at Yukio’s entrance. 

Yukio groaned around Toshiro’s half hard length in his mouth, having still been holding him there not only because he hadn’t been told he could release him, but because he actually loved the feeling of his mouth being filled this way. As Ichigo breached his body, the sensation of fullness was only intensified, and already blinding pleasure climbed to new levels of bliss he couldn’t even really fathom in the hazy state his mind had fallen into. He felt Ichigo holding his hips tightly, thrusting into him and steadily gaining depth. 

Ichigo knew he wasn’t going to be able to hold on for long, Yukio’s body having always been something to send him over the edge quickly with how warm it was around him. He groaned, low and rather desperate, as he bottomed out, the heat and pressure surrounding him pushing him closer to climax with every small movement. “It won’t be long, Toshiro, be ready,” he said, his voice strained with need. He began a pattern of steady, deep thrusts, knowing Yukio had been holding on for quite some time already and not in the least disappointed that this was going to end comparatively quickly - he loved how suddenly his orgasms seemed to crash into him when he was taking Yukio. 

And it certainly didn’t take long, the motion and the sensation of warm pressure sending Ichigo incredibly close to the edge within a few additional thrusts into Yukio’s body. “Let go, Toshiro, swallow him down when he comes,” he managed out the words past the almost painful sensation of holding back until he knew Yukio was getting relief. 

Toshiro released his grip immediately, his hand falling limp upon his own chest. Yukio’s release was instantaneous and Toshiro drank him down, the action compulsive and automatic, continuing to swallow around him even as he began to soften. His tongue gently moved against him, collecting every drop, mind still utterly blank and awaiting direction. 

The immediate triggering of Yukio’s climax with the release in pressure caused his body to further tighten around Ichigo, and that was all it took before he was being harshly wrenched into depths of pleasure that never lessened, no matter how many times he did this with either of them. He gently braced a hand on Yukio’s lower back, holding his hips back as he buried himself as deeply as he could, still feeling the spasms of aftershock drawing out his own orgasm. 

When he was finally able to catch his breath, Ichigo wrapped an arm around Yukio’s waist, realizing that he was trembling with the effort of keeping himself supported over Toshiro. “Alright, you two, I’m going to take Yukio off of you, Toshiro, so he can lie down, so let him go when I go to move him. You just stay right there and I’ll come back for you once he’s settled, and I’ll clean you both off a bit,” he instructed, waiting for Toshiro to acknowledge that he understood before moving, knowing that sudden actions could be taken negatively as lost as they both were. 

Glassy teal eyes eventually focused on warm amber, his nod slow and subtle in answer. His mind was still mostly blank but he remained focused on Ichigo - finding it impossible to not watch his every movement now that he had, hyper aware of him, his mind ready to respond to anything he said or did with a strong desire to please him. 

Ichigo slowly pulled himself from Yukio’s body, the other beginning to shake only more noticeably with the action. He gently but decisively lifted Yukio from his position over Toshiro, shifting him up the bed to settle him with his head on a pillow, murmuring softly, “You just relax, I’ll bring Toshiro to you, okay? You did so good, Yukio.”

Yukio gave a soft sigh and smiled at the praise, nodding at Ichigo’s request for a response and leaning into his lips when he bent to kiss his cheek. 

Ichigo left him only long enough to gather Toshiro into his arms, turning him to join Yukio and positioning him against the other’s side, smiling when Yukio’s arm strung around him and he seemed to mindlessly begin to nuzzle into Toshiro’s hair and press light kisses there. He watched them as he leaned over to grab the washcloth Toshiro had placed in a bowl of water on the bedside table, wringing out the excess water before beginning to wipe the sweat and any excess mess from his partners’ bodies.

Toshiro hummed, his body still tingling with the lingering feeling of deep subspace. He pressed his nose against Yukio’s neck like he had since that first night he comforted him, teal eyes still following Ichigo’s every movement as if transfixed. He sighed out when Ichigo cleaned his own body, smiling, feeling warm against Yukio and so completely cared for, his heart full. He knew he was very slowly coming back to himself but that steady calm remained, his mind so clear after being with his partners this way.

Ichigo made rather quick work of cleaning all of them - himself included - and he placed the washcloth back on the table before settling in next to Toshiro, slipping his arm under both of them and pulling them close, briefly leaning over Toshiro to kiss Yukio’s forehead. As he passed back over him, Ichigo gently kissed Toshiro’s cheek, a deeply satisfied sigh surfacing when he relaxed with his other arm over them, his hand running over Yukio’s side. “I love you both so much,” he whispered, relishing the feeling as he curled his body around Toshiro a bit to be able to still reach Yukio, his chin over Toshiro’s head and his nose buried in fine blonde hair.

Toshiro felt so wonderfully surrounded between the two, Yukio’s heat thoroughly relaxing him and tugging him towards sleep, Ichigo’s strong body making him feel safe in his continued release of control. He remained in a moderate subspace, simple thoughts and words coming to him but leaving rapidly, his mind still so clear as he sighed out, “Love you… Ichigo… Yukio… I’m so happy you’re here… with me…” 

He knew they didn’t see it as a sacrifice at all, that they knew Toshiro would have joined them both in the Living World had it not been for his position and responsibilities as Captain - he was still incredibly grateful to them both. He’d never felt more loved, more cared for, less anxious or isolated in his life - and he wasn’t remotely afraid that his power could hurt them. He loved them more than he could possibly say. He slid his hand to hold Ichigo’s on Yukio’s side, clasping over it as he pressed a kiss against Yukio’s neck, humming again in peace and contentment. 

Yukio was already nearly asleep himself, hearing the soft words of his partners but only barely seeing through hazy, half-lidded emerald eyes. “Love you… both of you,” he slurred, only barely keeping his eyes open, humming quietly in pure, relaxed happiness. 

Ichigo huffed out a small chuckle. He was well aware that Yukio never did surface from subspace as quickly as Toshiro, but it was always ridiculously adorable when he would fall asleep that way. He kissed soft blonde hair, murmuring softly, “Go on and go to sleep, Yukio.” He couldn’t keep the smile from his lips when he pulled away to find emerald eyes slowly closing, Yukio’s breathing nearly immediately deepening as sleep claimed him. “You going to sleep, too, Toshiro?” Ichigo whispered, tilting his face down to press his lips to the top of Toshiro’s head.

Toshiro hummed, the sound affirmative but still answering, “Yes… tired from training and… I feel so safe and… comfortable… between you…” He released a soft sound of fond amusement as he said, “Yukio is so warm… always makes me sleepy… laying against him like this…”

Ichigo was still smiling - he felt like he never really stopped when he was with these two - as he pressed his lips to Toshiro’s hair one more time before returning to his previous position with his chin over Toshiro’s head. “Alright. Get some sleep then. See you in the morning,” he said softly. With a light sigh, he let his own eyes close, though he knew he wouldn’t immediately fall asleep as the other two likely would - as Yukio already had. 

As he snuggled a bit more tightly into them, nesting Toshiro only more thoroughly between them, he could only think of how perfect this was. Sure, Toshiro would grow up, and maybe he and Yukio would change a bit as they aged, but  _ this -  _ this comfort and love and sheer contentment between them - would never change. They  _ belonged  _ together, and nothing would ever convince Ichigo otherwise.

* * *

Yukio had risen before the others, well-rested and prepared to take on the day’s paperwork in Toshiro’s stead. The temptation was strong, though, to stay in bed when he woke to Ichigo’s arm still around him and Toshiro curled into his chest. Still, he knew he would only be away for an hour or so, so he willed himself to get up and get dressed, deactivating his Fullbring and leaving the house before the sun had even properly risen, only a teasing of lighter indigo on the horizon as he made his way to the Tenth Division office. If he was quick enough, Ichigo and Toshiro would hardly have time to wake up before he returned. 

And, the earlier he arrived at the office, the less possibility there was that he would be bombarded by an enthusiastic Lieutenant. She had been  _ much  _ too excited that he was staying, and he was growing accustomed to her, but he still avoided her on days like this, without Toshiro acting as a bit of a buffer between them. 

Yukio sat in the chair behind Toshiro’s desk, where all of the paperwork was always stacked regardless of who was to complete it - laziness, really, the other Divisions not taking the time to separate it. He set aside what was intended for Toshiro only, completing the rest rather quickly. Just as he was setting down his brush, tidying the stacks of papers and closing the inkwell, the door slid open. He tensed habitually, expecting the high-pitched, singsong voice of Rangiku, but there was silence instead. When he looked up, he found someone he didn’t recognize, a single piece of parchment in his hand.

“Is Hitsugaya-taicho out today?” the young man asked. 

Yukio nodded. “He’s resting after training yesterday. I’m sure I can take care of whatever it is. There’s no need to disturb him,” he insisted. The man held out the piece of paper, and Yukio took it, not having a chance to read it before he was being addressed again. 

“This is actually for Ichigo Kurosaki. Hitsugaya-taicho was put down as liaison for any communications regarding his pending Captain application,” the man said.

Yukio nodded again. “I’ll make sure he gets it. Thank you,” he said, his eyes darting back down to the paper in his hand, skimming over the words as the man bowed to him and left. He was glad the man had left when his hands began to shake, his eyes lighting up as he took in what the letter was about. He immediately dashed from the office, making his way back home as quickly as his comparatively limited speed could manage. Even using his Fullbring-based ability for skipping quickly across the Reiatsu in the air, it was a poor comparison to either Ichigo’s or Toshiro’s shunpo. 

He was panting when he tore into the house, sprinting down the hall to the bedroom, wrenching the door open and yelling,  _ “Ichigo!” _

Ichigo was jerked so harshly from sleep that he sat bolt upright with Toshiro held tightly to his chest, his heart pounding and his head swimming with grogginess. It took him a moment to really even gather his thoughts or focus well enough to realize Yukio had crawled back up on the bed, shoving a piece of parchment in his face. “What the hell, Yukio?” he groaned, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

Toshiro had tensed immediately, automatically searching for some threat as he’d never heard Yukio yell like that before. As he crawled towards them though he only saw excitement in the beautiful emerald eyes and so he relaxed, his sharp mind immediately understanding what had to be the cause of his out of character behavior when he saw the parchment, connecting the dots and grinning. 

When Yukio didn’t let up, practically touching his face with the damned piece of paperwork in his hand, Ichigo took it from him. He blinked a few times, still clearing his vision as he read it. As the words began to register in his mind, though, his eyes widened and he thought his heart was going to just stop beating altogether. “This is…” he trailed off a bit as he glanced up at Yukio, whose emerald eyes were bright with enthusiasm and he practically bounced in place as he tried to contain himself. “It says my application was approved. I’m a  _ Captain  _ now. Official ceremony to be held in one week,” he read, dropping the paper and burying his face in his hands, the overwhelming relief and joy that flooded through him causing him to laugh, the sound completely outside of his own control.

Toshiro was a bit trapped by his arms but he didn’t mind in the least, his smile proud as he pressed a kiss to his collarbone, saying, “I knew they’d accept you, Ichigo. You’ll make a wonderful Captain. Does it say which Squad you were deemed most suitable?” Part of the application process was a very thorough, detailed, written assessment of one’s own strengths and weaknesses, as it was vital a leader know their own, and also it was used to best place them when more than one Division was in need of a Captain, as was currently the case for Squads three, five, and nine.

Ichigo perked up again, dropping his hands. “Oh, fuck, I didn’t even look,” he said with another laugh. He picked the paper up, the shock having waned, and read the entire letter more thoroughly. “The Ninth. Perfect, it really was the best choice for me. I’m sure they didn’t miss the fact that I love to read. I’m sure Shuhei will like having some help with the Bulletin,” he replied, still grinning as he put the letter back down and bent to kiss the top of Toshiro’s head.

Toshiro was thoroughly relieved that it was the Ninth. For practical reasons, because his home was on the edge of the Tenth, near the boundary with the Ninth. And Ichigo truly had an affinity for literature and reading. But also because, as capable as he knew Ichigo was, he still had a lot to learn about Soul Society and shinigami skills that were usually learned during Academy - and Shuhei Hisagi was by far the most stable of the three Lieutenants from the Captain-less Divisions. He would support Ichigo but wouldn’t lean on him too much, allowing them to actually work together. 

The Third was less of a mess but Kira had taken the loss on their Captain and the resulting stress hard. He needed far more support and Toshiro was certain he’d be frustrated by Ichigo’s ignorance when it came to certain things whereas Hisagi would simply take that in stride, explaining without judgement, which Ichigo needed. He knew he was concerned about not having attended the Academy like every other shinigami.

The Fifth… as much as he cared for Momo, wanted her to recover, she was of no use as a Lieutenant in her current condition. Her mind had been impossibly warped by Aizen, having been with him as his Lieutenant for so many years. He had heard that the Head Captain was currently negotiating with the Vizards, that Shinji Hirako was being requested to reclaim the Captaincy of his old Division. He already knew how the Squad functioned and could give Momo the time she needed to recover - even likely help her after what he himself had suffered from Aizen. 

There was a lot of bad blood between the Vizards and the Head Captain but they were smoothing things out and he hoped they came to terms. If re-establishing Hirako was successful as the Captain of the Fifth, then likely Otoribashi would smoothly be able to reclaim Captaincy of the Third and be the more experienced leader that Kira needed.

Toshiro leaned into him, smiling as he said, “I agree. I know you and Hisagi-fukutaicho will get on well and you’ll do brilliantly with the Ninth. He appreciates blunt honesty, as well, so that’s a plus,” Toshiro said with a chuckle. “And he knows how to be discreet, should you need to ask him for help with anything. I know he’ll support you - and of course I do as well. We’ll be near to one another too, in case you still want to carry Yukio home at the end of the day,” Toshiro said, smiling towards Yukio as the blonde blushed at the reminder.

Ichigo chuckled, bringing a hand up from where his arm was wrapped around Toshiro to pull Yukio to them, tucking the smaller man under his arm and smiling when he settled there willingly. “‘Course I will. And I’m going to do my best as a Captain. I know I’ve got a lot to learn, but I’ve got good teachers,” he said fondly, holding Toshiro against him. He knew Toshiro was aware that he didn’t just mean him, but also Hyourinmaru, and now Shuhei. Between the three of them, he was sure it would be a smooth transition, and he was ecstatic to take his place in the Soul Society - the place he had considered home more than his home in the Living World for a while now.

As much as he had been through with these shinigami, it was always like he was losing something by being forced to go ‘home.’ He loved his sisters, but they were growing up, not needing him so much anymore, and his father fully understood him now. As much of a goofball as he still was, he knew his father readily accepted and supported his decision to remain in the Soul Society, which had been quite the discussion months ago when he put in his Captain application. It was in his blood, after all. It only made sense that his soul belonged there, zanpakuto always in hand, donning his shihakusho… and soon to be Captain’s haori. 

What mattered the  _ most,  _ though, was that he was with the two men he loved more than anything else in his life. As satisfying as it was to know that he was accepted, respected even, in the Soul Society, it was more important that he would never have to leave Toshiro and Yukio. It didn’t matter what happened, he would protect them. Even if Toshiro was even more capable of doing so than he was, it didn’t matter. His heart wouldn’t let that desire fade.

The need to protect what he loved.

And he loved  _ all  _ of this - their shared inner world, their bonded zanpakuto spirits, the Soul Society, and, dearest to his heart, the relationship the three of them had formed.  _ Nothing  _ would stop Ichigo from standing between any threat and everything he had built, because Toshiro and Yukio were  _ his.  _

And nothing could ever take that away. 


End file.
